sector

1 of 2

noun

sec·​tor ˈsek-tər 

-ˌtȯr

1

a

: a geometric figure bounded by two radii and the included arc of a circle

b(1)

: a subdivision of a defensive military position

(2)

: a portion of a military front or area of operation

c

: an area or portion resembling a sector

bilingual sector of town

—David Kleinberg

d

: a sociological, economic, or political subdivision of society

cooperation between the public and private sectors

—Peter Chapman

2

: a mathematical instrument consisting of two rulers connected at one end by a joint and marked with several scales

3

: a subdivision of a track on a computer disk

sectoral

ˈsek-t(ə-)rəl

adjective

sector

2 of 2

verb

sec·​tor ˈsek-tər 

sectored; sectoring ˈsek-t(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

: to divide into or furnish with sectors

Examples of sector in a Sentence

Noun

He was assigned to the northern sector.

Data is stored on the disk in 512-byte sectors.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For example, the finance sector leader Washington Bankers Association (WBA) historically worked with third parties to provide training for entry-level finance positions. —Jean Eddy, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Netflix, naturally, has only accelerated its investment in Korean entertainment, carving out a decisive leadership position in the country’s premium online video sector ahead of Korea’s top local players. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2025

Verb

What to watch: KeyBanc downgraded Microsoft to sector weight from overweight earlier in April ahead of the report, highlighting a few risks such as flattening cloud demand and a tricky AI landscape. —Fred Imbert, CNBC, 27 Apr. 2025

Analyst Brandon Nispel upgraded Apple to sector weight from underweight and kept his $170 price target on the stock, after lowering it just last week. —Pia Singh, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Late Latin, from Latin, cutter, from secare to cut — more at saw

First Known Use

Noun

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing sector

• private sector
• public sector
• sub-sector

Rhymes for sector

• hector
• lector
• nectar
• rector
• specter
• spectre
• vector
• bisector
• collector
• connector
• corrector
• defector

Kids Definition

sector

noun

sec·​tor

ˈsek-tər,

-ˌtȯ(ə)r

1

a

: the part of a circle included between two radii

b

: an area assigned to a military commander to defend

2

: a part of society

the public sector

the industrial sector