precinct

noun

pre·cinct | \ ˈprē-ˌsiŋ(k)t

Definition of precinct

1 : a part of a territory with definite bounds or functions often established for administrative purposes : district: such as

a : a subdivision of a county, town, city, or ward for election purposes

b : a division of a city for police control

2a : an enclosure bounded by the walls of a building —often used in plural

b : a sphere of thought, action, or influence —often used in plural

3a precincts plural : the region immediately surrounding a place : environs

b : place, locale

4 : boundary —often used in plural a ruined tower within the precincts of the squire's grounds— T. L. Peacock

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More About precinct

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Examples of precinct in a Sentence

Voting results from several precincts are delayed. They were taken to the precinct for questioning.

Recent Examples on the Web On the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, former President Trump visited the New York City Police Department’s 17th precinct in Manhattan’s Midtown East neighborhood. — Stephen Collinson, CNN, 13 Sep. 2021 Mike Neil, Marlowe’s stepfather, had just finished working a midnight shift as a favor to another sergeant at the 75th precinct. — Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 10 Sep. 2021 This is an authoritarian precinct ruled by racist cops. — Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2021 With fewer officers working and thus fewer officers trying to meet their arrest quotas, the precinct made fewer overall arrests, including false arrests. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2021 She was initially pulled over at 11 p.m. by officers from the Baltimore County Police Department's Essex precinct for speeding. — Fox News, 31 July 2021 With 63 officers working in this new precinct of 10.85 square miles, there will be about one public safety officer per 1,000 residents in Taylorsville. — Alixel Cabrera, The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 July 2021 One provision wholly rejects ballots cast in the wrong precinct. — Ariane De Vogue, CNN, 4 Aug. 2021 The Supreme Court, in a decision divided along ideological lines with conservatives in the majority, recently upheld a pair of Arizona rules governing the collection of mail ballots and disallowing votes cast in the wrong precinct. — Alexa Corse, WSJ, 13 July 2021

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