1
: characterized by or relating to position in space : having a definite spatial form or location
2
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular place : not general or widespread
b
: of, relating to, or applicable to part of a whole
3
a
: primarily serving the needs of a particular limited district
b
of a public conveyance
: making all the stops on a route
4
: involving or affecting only a restricted part of the organism : topical
a local anesthetic
5
: of or relating to telephone communication within a specified area
: a local person or thing: such as
a
: a local public conveyance (such as a train or an elevator)
b
: a local or particular branch, lodge, or chapter of an organization (such as a labor union)
c
British
: a nearby or neighborhood pub
Examples of local in a Sentence
Adjective
We had dinner at a local restaurant.
The police have arrested a local man for the crime.
This is a local shop for local people: we don't get many outsiders here.
She took the local bus.
Noun
He's the president of the union local at the factory.
the truck drivers are members of Local 349 of the Teamsters' Union
Recent Examples on the Web
Ron Wood, arkansasonline.com, 9 Apr. 2024
Okereke stars in the series opposite a young local ensemble including Gaosi Raditholo, Carmen Pretorius, Richard Gau, Tarryn Wyngaard and Danica Jones.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Kennedy’s ideas revolve around changes to the tax code, pushing for local zoning changes and seeking out ways to lower home mortgage interest rates.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Youngkin proposed amending the bills to require the state tax department to study local impact and the General Assembly to consider them again next year.
—Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Ibarra was arrested and is believed to have acted alone, but his brother later grabbed the spotlight after local media reported that had tattoos on his neck of Tren de Aragua symbols.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Inspired by the Hotaka mountain range in Japan’s Shinshu region, its striking red-orange hue is meant to represent the sun reflecting off the local landscape at dawn.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
Support local journalism: Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.
—Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024
The violent attacks drew an outpouring of responses from local, state and federal officials.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Mitti Hicks, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Selling the day’s catches to locals unearths more information about each area’s troubled past, but darkness ushers in the night’s worrisome eldritch horrors.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Jim and Kim Cooper had come over from New Hampton, New Hampshire, their first time doing more than just driving through the town locals call St. Jays.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Evidence of the locals’ craftsmanship can still be found in surprising ways.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2024
Hellerstein estimates only about 5% of the museum’s visitors are locals.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Shelby Park was once a popular spot for locals to play soccer or walk their dogs along the Rio Grande.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
And even then, it’s been obscured underneath layers of seaweed — a cash crop harvested by locals.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
So far, the studios have reached tentative deals with the locals that represent sound technicians, camera operators and cinematographers, hair and makeup artists, grips, art directors and set painters.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The security guard who was hit was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated and released, according to police.
—Ron Wood, arkansasonline.com, 9 Apr. 2024
Okereke stars in the series opposite a young local ensemble including Gaosi Raditholo, Carmen Pretorius, Richard Gau, Tarryn Wyngaard and Danica Jones.
—Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Kennedy’s ideas revolve around changes to the tax code, pushing for local zoning changes and seeking out ways to lower home mortgage interest rates.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Youngkin proposed amending the bills to require the state tax department to study local impact and the General Assembly to consider them again next year.
—Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
Ibarra was arrested and is believed to have acted alone, but his brother later grabbed the spotlight after local media reported that had tattoos on his neck of Tren de Aragua symbols.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Inspired by the Hotaka mountain range in Japan’s Shinshu region, its striking red-orange hue is meant to represent the sun reflecting off the local landscape at dawn.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
Support local journalism: Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.
—Detroit Free Press, 9 Apr. 2024
The violent attacks drew an outpouring of responses from local, state and federal officials.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
The latter is a staple for locals and visitors alike, as it’s known for having the best croissants outside of France.
—Mitti Hicks, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Selling the day’s catches to locals unearths more information about each area’s troubled past, but darkness ushers in the night’s worrisome eldritch horrors.
—Katcy Stephan, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
Jim and Kim Cooper had come over from New Hampton, New Hampshire, their first time doing more than just driving through the town locals call St. Jays.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Evidence of the locals’ craftsmanship can still be found in surprising ways.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2024
Hellerstein estimates only about 5% of the museum’s visitors are locals.
—Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Shelby Park was once a popular spot for locals to play soccer or walk their dogs along the Rio Grande.
—Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Apr. 2024
And even then, it’s been obscured underneath layers of seaweed — a cash crop harvested by locals.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2024
So far, the studios have reached tentative deals with the locals that represent sound technicians, camera operators and cinematographers, hair and makeup artists, grips, art directors and set painters.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'local.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near local
Cite this Entry
“Local.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/local. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
local
1 of 2 adjective
lo·cal
ˈlō-kəl 
1
: of or relating to position in space
2
: relating to a particular place
local news
a local custom
3
: serving the needs of a certain district
local government
4
: involving or affecting only a small part of the body
a local infection
locally
adverb
-kə-lē
local
2 of 2 noun1
: a public vehicle (as a bus or train) that makes all of the stops or most of the stops along its route
2
: a local branch (as of a lodge or labor union)
Medical Definition
local
1 of 2 adjective
lo·cal
ˈlō-kəl
: involving or affecting only a restricted part of the organism
local inflammation
compare systemic sense a
local
2 of 2 noun
: local anesthetic
also
: local anesthesia
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share