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
Richard Wilson, Detroit Free Press, 21 Apr. 2024
In 1974, Dawn had left Marty and began dating another local man.
—Stayton Bonner, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
North County, though, faces its own critical moment with local health care services as both Tri-City, and neighboring Palomar Health, are currently weathering severe financial headwinds.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
Epic Flight Academy opens its local school at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Monday, promising starting wages of $20-$25 an hour for graduates.
—The Enquirer, 21 Apr. 2024
Working with local funeral directors, Banks shares in The Star the stories of recently deceased, everyday Black citizens who made a difference in their communities.
—The Star’s Leadership Team, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2024
Some local leaders, including the police, say that a controversial statewide measure aimed at decriminalizing drug possession led to an addiction crisis.
—Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
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
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024
Henderson locals applauded the bravery of the police officers in the Facebook video's comments section.
—Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 21 Apr. 2024
The locals that have yet to make deals with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are Local 44, the property crafts union, and Local 884, the studio teachers.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
From spectacular Atlantic beaches to the lush Taconic Mountains, Massachusetts is packed with natural beauty and history that draw both tourists and locals to destinations around the state.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
Speaking loudly over the horns of impatient drivers, several locals said in interviews that they were unbothered by the constant honking.
—Erin Nolan, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Visit Indy also broke their record for the most website traffic in a single day on the day of the eclipse, meaning tourists and locals were looking for things to do.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Apr. 2024
Hawaii lawmakers are hoping that phasing out short-term rentals could help ease its worsening housing crisis, where locals face the highest housing costs in the nation and one of the worst rates of homelessness.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
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
Adjective
The mural was commissioned as part of the 2023 Street Art for Mankind project, plagued with problems at City Hall because the artists hired weren't local, resulting in protest across the Detroit artist community.
—Richard Wilson, Detroit Free Press, 21 Apr. 2024
In 1974, Dawn had left Marty and began dating another local man.
—Stayton Bonner, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
North County, though, faces its own critical moment with local health care services as both Tri-City, and neighboring Palomar Health, are currently weathering severe financial headwinds.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024
Epic Flight Academy opens its local school at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Monday, promising starting wages of $20-$25 an hour for graduates.
—The Enquirer, 21 Apr. 2024
Working with local funeral directors, Banks shares in The Star the stories of recently deceased, everyday Black citizens who made a difference in their communities.
—The Star’s Leadership Team, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2024
Some local leaders, including the police, say that a controversial statewide measure aimed at decriminalizing drug possession led to an addiction crisis.
—Abbie Vansickle, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024
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
Noun
With a chain of Salvation Army–esque stores that is beloved by locals (Mee & Gee) and another institution that is filled with Americana vibes (Midwest Vintage), the vintage scene here is eclectic.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024
Henderson locals applauded the bravery of the police officers in the Facebook video's comments section.
—Andrea Vacchiano, Fox News, 21 Apr. 2024
The locals that have yet to make deals with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are Local 44, the property crafts union, and Local 884, the studio teachers.
—Gene Maddaus, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024
From spectacular Atlantic beaches to the lush Taconic Mountains, Massachusetts is packed with natural beauty and history that draw both tourists and locals to destinations around the state.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
Speaking loudly over the horns of impatient drivers, several locals said in interviews that they were unbothered by the constant honking.
—Erin Nolan, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Visit Indy also broke their record for the most website traffic in a single day on the day of the eclipse, meaning tourists and locals were looking for things to do.
—Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Apr. 2024
Hawaii lawmakers are hoping that phasing out short-term rentals could help ease its worsening housing crisis, where locals face the highest housing costs in the nation and one of the worst rates of homelessness.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
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
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 26 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
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