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Synonyms

locality

American  
[loh-kal-i-tee] / loʊˈkæl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

localities
  1. a place, spot, or district, with or without reference to things or persons in it or to occurrences there.

    They moved to another locality.

  2. the state or fact of being local or having a location.

    the locality that every material object must have.


locality British  
/ ləʊˈkælɪtɪ /

noun

  1. a neighbourhood or area

  2. the site or scene of an event

  3. the fact or condition of having a location or position in space

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of locality

From the Late Latin word locālitās, dating back to 1620–30. See local, -ity

Explanation

Use the noun locality when you need an official-sounding way to say "area" or "region." For example, you might say, "I am so pleased to finally have a doughnut shop in my locality." You're most likely to come across the word locality in a news story or business report. It's a formal way to talk about a neighborhood or a section of town. The mayor might make a speech about crime in a particular locality, or the prevalence of potholes in another locality. The word has been in use since the 1700's, from the Latin word localis, "relating to or belonging to a place."

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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.

Prof Liddiard, who, with David Sims, wrote A Very Dangerous Locality: The landscape of the Suffolk Sandlings in the Second World War, said the soldiers sent to install the scaffolding did not enjoy the experience.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2022

Ben Ashkar, chief operating officer of Locality Labs, one of the companies connected to the sites, was the sole executive at the network who spoke on the record for this article.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2020

Locality is an aspect of an even more compelling illusion: that we exist within an absolute space, with respect to which we mark our positions as we move “through” it.

From Scientific American • Apr. 4, 2019

Locality, as Bell introduced it in 1964, is a stronger concept than no faster-than-light communication.

From Nature • Jun. 18, 2014

Locality of, 168; the plains of, viewed by Cuchulain, 193; St. Patrick and folk of, 282 Breg´on.

From Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race by Rolleston, T. W. (Thomas William)