area

noun ar·ea \ ˈer-ē-ə , ˈā-rē-ə \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of area

1 : the surface included within a set of lines; specifically : the number of unit squares equal in measure to the surface — see Metric System Table, Weights and Measures Table

2 : the scope of a concept, operation, or activity : field

the whole area of foreign policy

3 : areaway

4 : a particular extent of space or surface or one serving a special function: such as

a : a part of the surface of the body

b : a geographic region

5 : a level piece of ground

6 : a part of the cerebral cortex having a particular function

—

areal

play \-ē-əl\ adjective

—

areally

play \-ə-lē\ adverb

See area defined for English-language learners

See area defined for kids

Examples of area in a Sentence

Settlers came to this area from the east.
The group visited the area during a hunting trip.
in the area surrounding the lake
The storm caused damage in many areas along the coast.
a bird found only in remote areas of the U.S.
in many areas of the world
He is the metropolitan area's most popular politician.
He lived in an unfashionable area of the city.
She set aside a work area in the kitchen.
The dining area has extra windows.

Recent Examples of area from the Web

As Gibbens points out, the list isn’t a rundown of the most polluted rivers in the U.S., which are usually those that drain agricultural land or industrial areas.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "These Are America’s Ten Most Endangered Rivers," 12 Apr. 2018
This phase will affect the theater’s backstage area.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "'Chicago,' 'Book of Mormon' Coming To Palace; Pericles At St. Joseph," 11 Apr. 2018
Houston mayor Sylvester Turner ordered an additional mandatory evacuation for areas effected by the flooding along the bayou.

— staff report, Houston Chronicle, "Annual Bayou Greenway Day attracts about 4,000 people to Tidwell Park," 11 Apr. 2018
She had been arrested for defying a court order that banned her from entering Soweto, an area at the center of the anti-apartheid movement in Johannesburg.

— laura smith-spark and eleni giokos, CNN, "Crowds celebrate Winnie Mandela's life at Soweto memorial service," 11 Apr. 2018
The report compiles a range of data on employment and income, housing and education among other areas, and breaks it down by race, geography and gender to compare how New Orleanians are faring today.

— jennifer larino, NOLA.com, "New Orleans 'Prosperity Index' finds the city's economy is still divided by race," 11 Apr. 2018
In Srinagar, the region’s main city, police fired tear gas to stop students from marching in the city’s main business area.

— Washington Post, "Troops kill 4 Kashmir civilians during anti-India protest," 11 Apr. 2018
The larger 24-table dining area and 12-seat bar means Deloa will have to more than double his staff.

— jim riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A bigger plate for Mexican grill: Margaritas will move into Casa Del Rio's downtown restaurant," 11 Apr. 2018
One to two feet of soil will be removed from areas deemed too toxic for industrial use.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "Eight years later, a toxic Black Leaf property in Louisville will be cleaned up," 11 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'area.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of area

Latin, open space, threshing floor; perhaps akin to Latin arēre to be dry — more at arid

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1552

See Words from the same year

area Synonyms

Synonyms

arena, bailiwick, business, circle, department, discipline, domain, element, fief, fiefdom, field, firmament, front, game, kingdom, line, precinct, province, realm, specialty, sphere, terrain, walk;

Related Words

frontier;

study, subject;

territory, turf;

occupation, profession, pursuit, racket, vocation;

ambit, amplitude, breadth, compass, confine, dimension(s), extent, ken, reach, scope, sweep, width;

subfield, subspecialty;

Other Weights and Measures Terms

avoirdupois weight, calorie, denier, kip, pace, twain

AREA Defined for English Language Learners

area

noun

Definition of area for English Language Learners

: a part or section within a larger place
: a section of space within a building, room, etc.
: a part of the surface of something (such as a person's body or a piece of cloth)