region

noun re·gion \ ˈrē-jən \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of region

1 : an administrative area, division, or district; especially : the basic administrative unit for local government in Scotland

2 a : an indefinite area of the world or universe

b : a broad geographic area distinguished by similar features

c (1) : a major world area that supports a characteristic fauna

(2) : an area characterized by the prevalence of one or more vegetational climax types

3 a : any of the major subdivisions into which the body or one of its parts is divisible

b : an indefinite area surrounding a specified body part

a pain in the region of the heart

4 : a sphere of activity or interest : field

5 : any of the zones into which the atmosphere is divided according to height or the sea according to depth

6 : an open connected set together with none, some, or all of the points on its boundary

a simple closed curve divides a plane into two regions

See region defined for English-language learners

See region defined for kids

Examples of region in a Sentence

The bird returns to this region every year.
He's the company sales manager for the entire Southwest region.
She has a pain in the lower back region.
attempts to go outside of London and stimulate cultural life in the regions

Recent Examples of region from the Web

Last September the bus-only lane was made permanent with paint, and Everett has been hailed as a model for bus rapid transit in the region.

— shirley leung, BostonGlobe.com, "5 things we can do to fix Seaport District traffic," 9 May 2018
Our program is a model not just in the region but across the country.

— The Aegis, "Harford Councilman Shrodes defends ag preservation funding," 9 May 2018
Yet Ojeda’s brand of populism resonates with working-class voters in the region, and his outspoken defense of West Virginia’s teachers earlier this year launched him into the national spotlight.

— alexia fernández campbell, Vox, "Richard Ojeda’s West Virginia primary win gives Democrats their best chance to turn coal country blue," 9 May 2018
During the family funerals in Mexico City last weekend, mourners brought soccer balls and dolls to donate to orphanages in the region on behalf of Diego and Mia.

— linda trischitta, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Fatal Delray Beach crash led to 'loss of his entire family at the same exact moment'," 8 May 2018
SUBSCRIBE TODAY Sacramento has seen the fastest-rising rents in the country in the last few years, ranking just behind Orlando and Las Vegas, according to RealPage, which put last year's average rent increase in the region at 5.9 percent.

— tony bizjak and ryan lillis, sacbee, "Sacramento will have faster apartment growth than any large U.S. city, analyst predicts | The Sacramento Bee," 8 May 2018
The actions of Red and Minor invoke a specific activist tradition in the region.

— sarah jones, The New Republic, "Whose Appalachia Is It, Anyway?," 8 May 2018
Privately, business leaders increasingly fret about the growing risk of conflict in the region if Iran resumes uranium enrichment in response to a U.S. withdrawal — and what that could mean for world trade.

— bloomberg, Fortune, "This Is What's at Stake If Trump Leaves the Iran Nuclear Deal," 8 May 2018
Activist investors are increasingly finding new targets in Asia, as a growing awareness of corporate governance in the region makes many large companies vulnerable to investors who agitate for change.

— steven russolillo, WSJ, "Activist Investors Flex Their Muscles in Asia," 8 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of region

Middle English regioun, from Anglo-French regiun, from Latin region-, regio line, direction, area, from regere to direct

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

region Synonyms

Synonyms

area, demesne, field, zone;

Related Words

corner, section;

locale, locality, location, locus, place, point, position, site, space, spot;

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

REGION Defined for English Language Learners

region

noun

Definition of region for English Language Learners

: a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way
: a place on your body : an area that is near a specified part of your body
the regions : the parts of a country that are not close to the capital city

REGION Defined for Kids

region

noun re·gion \ ˈrē-jən \

Definition of region for Students

1 : an area having no definite boundaries

darker regions of the night sky

2 : a broad geographic area

3 : vicinity 1

He felt pain in the region of the heart.

Medical Dictionary

region

noun re·gion \ ˈrē-jən \

medical Definition of region

1 : any of the major subdivisions into which the body or one of its parts is divisible

the nine regions of the abdomen

2 : an indefinite area surrounding a specified body part

a pain in the region of the heart

Learn More about region

See words that rhyme with region Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for region Spanish Central: Translation of region Nglish: Translation of region for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of region for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about region

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region

Definition of region

Examples of region in a Sentence

Recent Examples of region from the Web

Origin and Etymology of region

region Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Government and Politics Terms

Phrases Related to REGION

Related Phrases

REGION Defined for English Language Learners

region

Definition of region for English Language Learners

REGION Defined for Kids

region

Definition of region for Students

Medical Dictionary

region

medical Definition of region

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