region
Americannoun
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regions
plural
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an extensive, continuous part of a surface, space, or body.
a region of the earth.
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Usually regions. the vast or indefinite entirety of a space or area, or something compared to one.
the regions of the firmament; the regions of the mind.
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a part of the earth's surface (land or sea) of considerable and usually indefinite extent.
a tropical region.
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a district without respect to boundaries or extent.
a charming region in Connecticut.
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a part or division of the universe, as the heavens.
a galactic region.
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a large indefinite area or range of something specified; sphere.
a region of authority.
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an area of interest, activity, pursuit, etc.; field.
studies in the region of logic.
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an administrative division of a city or territory.
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Zoogeography. a major faunal area of the earth's surface, sometimes one regarded as a division of a larger area.
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Anatomy. a place in or a division of the body or a part of the body.
the abdominal region.
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Mathematics.
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Also called domain. an open connected set.
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the union of such a set and some or all of its boundary points.
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noun
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any large, indefinite, and continuous part of a surface or space
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an area considered as a unit for geographical, functional, social, or cultural reasons
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an administrative division of a country
Tuscany is one of the regions of the Italian Republic
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a realm or sphere of activity or interest
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range, area, or scope
in what region is the price likely to be?
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a division or part of the boday
the lumbar region
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(in Scotland from 1975 until 1996) any of the nine territorial divisions into which the mainland of Scotland was divided for purposes of local government; replaced in 1996 by council areas See also islands council
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of region
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French regiun, from Latin regiōn-, stem of regiō “direction, line, boundary,” from reg(ere) “to make straight, guide, rule” + -iō -ion
Explanation
A region is an area. A region can be geographic — like a part of a country. A region can be intellectual — like a region of the mind. There are also bodily regions — like abdominal, thoracic, and posterior. A region is any space that is distinct from another area. The word region is from the Latin regionem which means “direction, boundary, district.” When you go to California you may want to travel north to the wine region, which will stimulate the taste-receptor region of your brain. After that, if you go south to the filmmaking region of Hollywood, you will excite the “movie-and-entertainment” region of your mind.
Vocabulary lists containing region
Human Geography - Middle School
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Human Geography - High School
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Western Europe - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"I don't have, as unbelievable as it is as mayor of this region, any power to fix this problem, but it doesn't mean I haven't shoved my nose in," she says.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Hackney wrote her book against the specter of another: “Hillbilly Elegy,” the 2016 bestselling memoir invoking Appalachian values by current Vice President JD Vance, who grew up outside that region in Middletown, Ohio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Beneath the Pacific Ocean, a large region of molten material began moving strongly eastward instead of continuing its weaker westward flow.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
The species, which still exists, once inhabited the Southwestern region including Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
There had been a number of tobacco farms in the region, where Colored people had worked going all the way back to slavery.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Cable internet providers such as Cox or Xfinity have cheaper plans in many regions, but upload and download speeds are not as fast as with fiber.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
The risks are compounded by expectations of a strong El Nino weather phenomenon, which could disrupt harvests across key farming regions and further tighten global supplies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Mobile internet speeds will be slowed for 30 minutes during air raid drills in central and northern regions, as the government seeks to expose ordinary people to communications disruptions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Conditions were very different in the midnight regions of the caves.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
In school we were told that East Prussia was one of the most beautiful regions, but it had proven treacherous for those of us fleeing.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
