local

American  

[loh-kuhl] / ˈloʊ kəl /

adjective

1. pertaining to or characterized by place or position in space; spatial.

2. pertaining to, characteristic of, or restricted to a particular place or particular places.

   a local custom.

3. pertaining to a city, town, or small district rather than an entire state or country.

   local transportation.

4. stopping at most or all stations.

   a local train.

5. pertaining to or affecting a particular part or particular parts, as of a physical system or organism.

   a local disease.

6. Medicine/Medical. (of anesthesia or an anesthetic) affecting only a particular part or area of the body, without concomitant loss of consciousness, as distinguished from general anesthesia.

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noun

1. a local train, bus, etc.

2. a newspaper item of local interest.

3. a local branch of a union, fraternity, etc.

4. a local anesthetic.

5. Often locals.

   1. a local person or resident.

      primarily of interest to locals.

   2. a local athletic team.

      the locals versus the state champions.

6. stamp.

7. British Informal. a neighborhood pub.

verb (used without object)

1. Informal. to travel by or take a local train or the like.

local British  

/ ˈləʊkəl /

adjective

1. characteristic of or associated with a particular locality or area

2. of, concerned with, or relating to a particular place or point in space

3. med of, affecting, or confined to a limited area or part Compare general systemic

4. (of a train, bus, etc) stopping at all stations or stops

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noun

1. a train, bus, etc, that stops at all stations or stops

2. an inhabitant of a specified locality

3. informal a pub close to one's home or place of work

4. med short for local anaesthetic

5. an item of local interest in a newspaper

6. a local or regional branch of an association

7. a telephone extension

Other Word Forms

• interlocal adjective
• interlocally adverb
• localness noun
• nonlocal adjective
• nonlocally adverb
• superlocal adjective
• superlocally adverb
• unlocal adjective
• unlocally adverb

Etymology

Origin of local

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Late Latin word locālis. See locus, -al ¹

Example Sentences

When you live in a place like my hometown of Seattle, where the locals call winter The Big Dark, you learn to soak up sunshine whenever and however it appears.

From Salon

When asked if the darkness could have played a part in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, several local people disputed that theory, defending Tucson's rules against light pollution.

From BBC

Others say host city Milan has become unliveable for many, with locals squeezed by soaring living costs amid an influx of wealthy new residents attracted by a tax scheme.

From Barron's

People could see the new zeitgeist emerge at their local movie theaters.

From Salon

A council penalised a driver whose car was damaged by a pothole on a road the local authority is responsible for maintaining.

From BBC

Related Words

• provincial
• regional