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

At least 12 people have died and around 50 are still missing after a landslide struck two boats docked at a river port in Peru's Amazon rainforest region, local media reports.

From BBC

The company started organizing Cursor pop-up cafe events this fall, taking over local coffee shops and turning them into a co-working space for engineers to connect.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Despite local families and activists getting there first, nine anti-trans folks testified first,” she noted.

From Salon

The ban was the "best way to minimise the risks" to the local community, players and fans, said Mr O'Hara.

From BBC

The U.S. also stations commandos and other forces in Somalia itself, where they help elite local troops fighting al-Shabaab—an Islamist insurgent group affiliated with al Qaeda—and the Somali branch of Islamic State.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• provincial
• regional