area

[ air-ee-uh ]

/ ˈɛər i ə /

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See synonyms for: area / areas / areal on Thesaurus.com

noun

any particular extent of space or surface; part: the dark areas in the painting; the dusty area of the room.

a geographical region; tract: the Chicago area;the unsettled areas along the frontier.

any section reserved for a specific function: the business area of a town;the dining area of a house.

extent, range, or scope: inquiries that embrace the whole area of science.

field of study, or a branch of a field of study: Related areas of inquiry often reflect borrowed notions.

a piece of unoccupied ground; an open space.

the space or site on which a building stands; the yard attached to or surrounding a house.

British. areaway (def. 1).

the quantitative measure of a plane or curved surface; two-dimensional extent.

Anatomy. a zone of the cerebral cortex having a specific function: The damage to Broca's area affected his speech.

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Origin of area

First recorded in 1530–40; fram Latin ārea “vacant piece of level ground, open space in a town, threshing floor”; perhaps akin to ārēre “to be dry”; see also arid

OTHER WORDS FROM area

ar·e·al, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH area

area , aria

Words nearby area

ardor, ardour, ARDS, arduous, are, area, Area 51, area bombing, area code, areal, areal velocity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use area in a sentence

You can leave your main vehicle and camping gear at the site and explore the surrounding area, allowing you to access rivers and trailheads with ease.
Three Family-Friendly Adventures to Try This Fall|Outside Editors|September 17, 2020|Outside Online
We’re seeing encouraging signs in different parts of the business, in some areas getting close to pre-pandemic levels.
‘We’re about hiring journalists’: Insider Inc. launches third global news hub in Singapore|Lucinda Southern|September 17, 2020|Digiday
Voting procedures in your area may have changed because of the pandemic, so be aware of your options and make a voting plan now.
ProPublica’s Pandemic Guide to Making Sure Your Vote Counts|by Susie Armitage|September 16, 2020|ProPublica
The upper pop-top area provides over seven feet of standing room when cooking or hanging out and then transitions into a long, fold-down bed for two.
Can’t Afford a Sprinter? Get a Tiny Van Instead.|Emily Pennington|September 16, 2020|Outside Online

This work includes areas related to activism, practice and policy, journalism, education, as well as programs and service.
D.C. fall calendar filled with virtual events|Steph Purifoy|September 16, 2020|Washington Blade
Historically the reelection rate for members of Congress is in the area of 95 percent.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The benefits of incumbency are quite potent, especially in the all-important area of raising campaign funds.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As he drove me back to the logging road, Frank told me about the area in his deep voice.
The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivor’s Brutal Journey Through the Woods|James Higdon|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
His neighbors include some of the other designer outposts one finds speckled around the area.
The Photographer Who Gave Up Manhattan for Marrakech|Liza Foreman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The area is 98 percent white, and the Klan has a strong foothold even to this very day.
What Would Happen if I Got in White Cop’s Face?|Goldie Taylor|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
By their agreement with the owner, the Company have the right of mining under an area of 185 acres, at a royalty of 6d.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
If you did fail, you would try Exclusion, and you would find nothing which is the antithesis of the area of New York.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
The total area of land purchased for the carrying-out of the scheme is put at 215,317 square yds.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
That with the increased area of the pallet is why the lower notes of the organ were so hard to play.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Considerable quantities of chromic iron are found on the hills in this area, which embraces about six hundred acres.
Asbestos|Robert H. Jones

British Dictionary definitions for area

area

/ (ˈɛərɪə) /

noun

any flat, curved, or irregular expanse of a surface

the extent of a two-dimensional surface enclosed within a specified boundary or geometric figurethe area of Ireland; the area of a triangle
the two-dimensional extent of the surface of a solid, or of some part thereof, esp one bounded by a closed curvethe area of a sphere

a section, portion, or partan area of the body; an area of the sky

region; district; localitya mountainous area

a geographical division of administrative responsibility
(as modifier)area manager

a part or section, as of a building, town, etc, having some specified function or characteristicreception area; commercial area; slum area

Also called: areaway a sunken area, usually enclosed, giving light, air, and sometimes access to a cellar or basement

the range, extent, or scope of anything

a subject field or field of study

any unoccupied or unused flat open piece of ground

the ground on which a building stands, or the ground surrounding a building

anatomy any of the various regions of the cerebral cortex

computing any part of a computer memory assigned to store data of a specified type

Derived forms of area

areal, adjective

Word Origin for area

C16: from Latin: level ground, open space, threshing-floor; related to ārēre to be dry

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

Scientific definitions for area

area

[ âr′ē-ə ]

The extent of a surface or plane figure as measured in square units.

Other Idioms and Phrases with area

area

see gray area.

area

Origin of area

OTHER WORDS FROM area

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH area

Words nearby area

Words related to area

How to use area in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for area

Derived forms of area

Word Origin for area

Scientific definitions for area

Other Idioms and Phrases with area