region

[ree-juhn]

noun

1. an extensive, continuous part of a surface, space, or body.

   a region of the earth.

   Synonyms: portion, section, area

2. Usually regions. the vast or indefinite entirety of a space or area, or something compared to one.

   the regions of the firmament; the regions of the mind.

3. a part of the earth's surface (land or sea) of considerable and usually indefinite extent.

   a tropical region.

4. a district without respect to boundaries or extent.

   a charming region in Connecticut.

   Synonyms: quarter, tract, site, locale

5. a part or division of the universe, as the heavens.

   a galactic region.

6. a large indefinite area or range of something specified; sphere.

   a region of authority.

7. an area of interest, activity, pursuit, etc.; field.

   studies in the region of logic.

8. an administrative division of a city or territory.

9. Zoogeography.,  a major faunal area of the earth's surface, sometimes one regarded as a division of a larger area.

10. Anatomy.,  a place in or a division of the body or a part of the body.

    the abdominal region.

11. Mathematics.

    1. Also called domain. an open connected set.

    2. the union of such a set and some or all of its boundary points.

region

/ ˈriːdʒən /

noun

1. any large, indefinite, and continuous part of a surface or space

2. an area considered as a unit for geographical, functional, social, or cultural reasons

3. an administrative division of a country

   Tuscany is one of the regions of the Italian Republic

4. a realm or sphere of activity or interest

5. range, area, or scope

   in what region is the price likely to be?

6. a division or part of the boday

   the lumbar region

7. (in Scotland from 1975 until 1996) any of the nine territorial divisions into which the mainland of Scotland was divided for purposes of local government; replaced in 1996 by council areas See also islands council

Other Word Forms

• underregion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of region¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French regiun, from Latin regiōn-, stem of regiō “direction, line, boundary,” from reg(ere) “to make straight, guide, rule” + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of region¹

C14: from Latin regiō , from regere to govern

Idioms and Phrases

see in the neighborhood (region) of.

Example Sentences

Elected leaders in the city of 100,000 have said they’ve borne a disproportionate burden of addressing homelessness in the region.

From Los Angeles Times

That speculation, which went around social media before Tuesday’s press conference, was pulled straight from someone’s nether regions who has neither access to accurate information nor common sense.

From Salon

Aid workers on donkeys have delivered the first humanitarian supplies to survivors of a landslide that reportedly killed hundreds of people in a remote mountain village in Sudan's western Darfur region.

From BBC

Vehicles and electrical equipment have historically caused roughly 2% of fires in the region.

From Los Angeles Times

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Afghanistan's remote south-eastern region on Thursday night, the third quake in six days, as the death toll from the first continued to rise.

From BBC

Related Words

• country 
• district 
• field 
• land 
• locality 
• neighborhood 
• part 
• place 
• province 
• sector 
• suburb 
• territory 
• world 
• zone