precinct

American  

[pree-singkt] / ˈpri sɪŋkt /

noun

• precincts
  plural

1. a district, as of a city, marked out for governmental or administrative purposes, or for police protection.

   Synonyms:

   ward

2. Also called precinct house. the police station in such a district.

3. Also called election district. one of a fixed number of districts, each containing one polling place, into which a city, town, etc., is divided for voting purposes.

4. a space or place of definite or understood limits.

   Synonyms:

   territory

5. Often precincts. an enclosing boundary or limit.

6. precincts, the parts or regions immediately surrounding a place; environs.

   the precincts of a town.

7. Chiefly British. the ground immediately surrounding a church, temple, or the like.

8. a walled or otherwise bounded or limited space within which a building or place is situated.

   Synonyms:

   compound

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precinct British  

/ ˈpriːsɪŋkt /

noun

1. 1. an enclosed area or building marked by a fixed boundary such as a wall

   2. such a boundary

2. an area in a town, often closed to traffic, that is designed or reserved for a particular purpose

   a shopping precinct

   pedestrian precinct

3. 1. a district of a city for administrative or police purposes

   2. the police responsible for such a district

4. a polling or electoral district

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• precincts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of precinct

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin praecinctum, noun use of neuter of Latin praecinctus, past participle of praecingere to gird about, surround, equivalent to prae- pre- + cing- (stem of cingere to surround; cf. cinch ¹) + -tus past participle suffix

Explanation

A precinct is an area of town marked off for official purposes, often to vote, or to organize the police force. When a cop hears of a crime that's happening in her precinct, she knows to hop in her car and head over there. The word precinct comes from the Latin precinctum meaning "enclosure, boundary line." A precinct is an area that has a clear boundary line around it, making it easier for the police to know where a crime is taking place, or where you should go to vote. The word precinct has also come to mean police headquarters in a particular district. If you're being held at the precinct, you're at the police station local to where you committed your crime.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

precinct precincts

The vast space, dominated by the splendid Metropolitan Cathedral, was once the Aztecs’ sacred precinct, the ceremonial core of their religion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

The agency offices sit in a dense warren of buildings above a shopping precinct, where vendors sell local fruit and workers queue for takeaway sour soup rice noodles.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Long walked into the 10th Street precinct carrying a copy of the newspaper and, after four hours of interviews, was sent home.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

He also falsely said Raman was “winning Skid Row” as he showed a precinct level map of results in and around downtown Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

“There was a time when it wasn’t uncommon to hear rapid fire, like you would hear somewhere in the jungle in Vietnam,” says Inspector Edward Messadri, who commands the police precinct in Brownsville.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

The offender receives a criminal behaviour order and is banned from specific areas, including shops or precincts, with police monitoring for any breaches.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Underground parking garages are scant in London’s gilded precincts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

It requires precincts to opt in, and only catches abuse after it happens.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

Another shopper, Martin, says he's "very concerned" whenever he sees them racing through precincts: "An accident's almost inevitable."

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Hush Puppies took off because they were being worn by kids in the cutting-edge precincts of the East Village — an environment that helped others to look at the shoes in a new light.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• district
• neighborhood
• ward