What does bordering mean?
'Bordering' is chiefly the present participle of the verb 'to border', which means to lie adjacent to something or to share a boundary with it — one country may be described as bordering another, or a garden as bordering a river. It also carries a well-established figurative sense: to be 'bordering on' a condition means to come very close to it without fully reaching it, as in a remark that is 'bordering on rude'. Less commonly, it functions as an adjective describing something that lies along or forms a border, and occasionally as a noun referring to a decorative edging. The word appears frequently in geography, political reporting, and everyday description of places, and its figurative use lends writing a tone of measured judgment. Its core image is simple and visual: standing at the edge where one thing ends and another begins, whether that edge is physical, political, or metaphorical.
Present participle of 'border': to lie adjacent to or share a boundary with something; to verge on a particular state or quality.
"The park is bordered by busy streets, with the lake bordering its northern edge."
The transitive form usually takes 'by' or 'with'; the figurative sense takes 'on'.
Forming or situated along a border or boundary.
"They walked along the bordering hedge between the two properties."
A decorative strip or edging placed along the margin of something such as fabric, a page, or a garden bed.
"She sewed a gold bordering along the curtain's hem."
In this noun sense, plain 'border' or 'trim' is more common in modern usage.
The word for sharing an edge with a country also means 'coming dangerously close' — so a joke can literally be 'bordering on offensive.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bordering
'Bordering' derives from the verb 'border', which entered English from Old French 'bordure' (a rim or edge), ultimately from Germanic roots related to the word 'board'. The figurative sense of verging on a state developed naturally from the literal idea of lying at an edge. Cognates appear across the Germanic family, including modern English 'board' and compounds such as 'aboard' and 'overboard'.
Related word forms
How bordering is actually used
Mostly used in formal and neutral registers, common in geography, politics, and journalism. The figurative sense ('bordering on X') typically introduces undesirable or extreme states.
Easily confused with bordering
'Boarding' means getting onto a vehicle or lodging somewhere, while 'bordering' means lying next to a boundary or coming close to a condition.