locality
Americannoun
plural
localities-
a place, spot, or district, with or without reference to things or persons in it or to occurrences there.
They moved to another locality.
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the state or fact of being local or having a location.
the locality that every material object must have.
noun
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a neighbourhood or area
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the site or scene of an event
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the fact or condition of having a location or position in space
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."
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.
The site is also close to Sidi Abderrahmane, a landmark locality for Middle Pleistocene archaeology in Northwest Africa.
From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2026
No other government uses this system—no locality, no state, no country.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026
There’s a value in locality, too; showing now, for example, not just what country the beans are from, but also what farm they’re grown on and what grade they are.
From Slate • Dec. 22, 2025
How aggressive should a locality be in pursuing changes to local zoning?
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2025
The intelligent beings in these regions should therefore not be surprised if they observe that their locality in the universe satisfies the conditions that are necessary for their existence.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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.
