How do you use "No man's land" in a sentence?

The project is in no man's land between departments. It's a legal no man's land. We were stuck in a bureaucratic no man's land.

No man's land

Q: What does "No man's land" mean?

Disputed territory; uncertain situation Originally the dangerous area between opposing trenches in WWI. Now used for any territory or situation where no one has clear authority or control.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

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Meaning: Disputed territory; uncertain situation

争议地带；不确定的局面

Territorio en disputa; situación incierta

係争地域、不確実な状況

분쟁 지역, 불확실한 상황

Originally the dangerous area between opposing trenches in WWI. Now used for any territory or situation where no one has clear authority or control.

最初指一战中敌对双方战壕之间的危险地带。现在用于描述没有人拥有明确权力或控制权的任何领域或情况。

Originalmente la zona peligrosa entre trincheras opuestas en la Primera Guerra Mundial. Ahora se usa para cualquier territorio o situación donde nadie tiene autoridad o control claros.

元々は第一次世界大戦で敵味方の塹壕の間にある危険な地帯。現在は誰も明確な権限や支配力を持たない領域や状況に使われる。

원래 1차 세계대전에서 적군 참호 사이의 위험한 지역을 뜻했다. 현재는 누구도 명확한 권한이나 통제력이 없는 영역이나 상황을 가리킨다.

Examples

The project is in no man's land between departments.
这个项目夹在部门之间，无人管
El proyecto está en tierra de nadie entre departamentos
そのプロジェクトは部署間の宙ぶらりんの状態だ
그 프로젝트는 부서 간 애매한 영역에 놓여 있다.
It's a legal no man's land.
这是一个法律真空地带
Es una tierra de nadie legal
法的な空白地帯だ
법적 공백 지대야.
We were stuck in a bureaucratic no man's land.
我们陷在官僚主义的真空地带里
Estábamos atrapados en una tierra de nadie burocrática
官僚主義のたらい回しにあった
관료주의적 공백 상태에 갇혀 있었다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: business, politics, everyday

Tone: descriptive, serious

✓ Do Say

A regulatory no man's land
监管真空地带
Una tierra de nadie regulatoria
規制の空白地帯
규제의 공백 지대
Stuck in no man's land
陷在真空地带
Atrapado en tierra de nadie
宙ぶらりんの状態
공백 상태에 빠져 있는

✗ Don't Say

N/A—widely used
不适用——广泛使用
No aplica: de uso generalizado
特になし——広く使われている
해당 없음—널리 사용됨

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the somber military origin

Origin & History

The term existed before WWI for disputed territory, but became famous describing the deadly ground between opposing trenches where soldiers from both sides were killed trying to cross.

Etymology: Middle English for disputed ground, WWI popularized

First recorded: 14th century; WWI sense 1914-18

Cultural Context

Era: WWI iconic, still current

Generation: All generations

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: WWI literature; War photography

Regional notes: Universal English.

Variations

No man's landNo-man's-land