locale
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of locale
1765–75; alteration of earlier local < French: noun use of the adj. See local
Explanation
A locale is the specific place where something happens. If you dream of a trip to some tropical locale, Hawaii, Belize, and Costa Rica might all be on your wish list. When you choose a locale for a big sci-fi convention, you need to make sure there's enough room for all the participants. And when you decide on a locale for an intimate party, you might stick to a cozy spot like your own living room. Locale comes from the French local, and it was originally spelled the same way. The e was eventually added to encourage correct pronunciation, with the emphasis on the last syllable.
Vocabulary lists containing locale
Ghost Squad
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Americanized
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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.
As an artist in residence at BroadStage, he recognized Santa Monica as an ideal locale for a jazz festival.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
The add-on expense, sometimes referred to as a “bed tax” or “tourist tax,” can equate to hundreds of dollars in certain instances, depending on the locale and how long a guest stays.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 31, 2025
And no locale has benefited more than Milan, where money has followed money.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 4, 2025
Should they play it safe and relocate to a cheaper filming locale, such as New Mexico or Vancouver, to ensure they had the budget to film the pivotal mid-season finale in Las Vegas?
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2025
But if we wish to find the Earth, we must redirect our course to the remote outskirts of the Galaxy, to an obscure locale near the edge of a distant spiral arm.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
