Backcountries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An area located at a distance from settled and developed regions, often characterized by wilderness or natural landscapes
2. A remote or rural region typically less accessible and less populated than urban territories
3. A region beyond the main thoroughfares or hubs, often appealing for outdoor activities and exploration

Etymology: "Backcountries" is the plural of "backcountry," a compound of "back" and "country." The base word is the more interesting half: "country" here refers to land away from settled or cultivated areas, and "back" supplies the sense of being behind or beyond the frontier of settlement, so the whole term describes the remote interior that lies past the last farms and towns. The plural adds the sense of several such regions, each one a wild tract rather than a single named place. Because the compound is built entirely from two plain English words, its meaning can be read straight off its parts, and it needs no borrowed or classical elements to explain it.

Synonyms: wilderness, hinterlands, backwoods, remote areas, wilds

Antonyms: cities, urban areas, metropolises, downtown, suburbs