zoning

1 of 2

noun

zon·​ing ˈzō-niŋ 

: the act or process of partitioning a city, town, or borough into zones reserved for different purposes (such as residence or business)

also : the set of ordinances by which such zones are established and regulated

voted to change the town's zoning

zoning laws

zoning

2 of 2

present participle of zone entry 2

Examples of zoning in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Amid speculation that Drexel plans to sell the 150-year-old building housing the Academy, Philadelphia's city council proposed altering local zoning overlays in order to make selling the building or converting it to other uses more difficult. — Andrew Stelzer, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026

The state liquor board would have had to address that question, but the application won’t get that far without the local zoning certificate. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

The Live Local Act, passed in 2023 and expanded in 2024, 2025 and 2026, allowed developers to ignore local zoning, density and height restrictions for certain projects. — Nico Rivero, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

City leaders dropped the zoning change proposal, forcing Tavistock to come up with a new plan. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1912, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for zoning

• boning
• cloning
• coning
• droning
• groaning
• honing
• loaning
• moaning
• owning
• phoning
• stoning
• toning

Legal Definition

zoning

noun

zon·​ing

: municipal or county regulation of land use effected through the creation and enforcement of zones under local law