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Synonyms

regional

American  
[ree-juh-nl] / ˈri dʒə nl /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a region of considerable extent; not merely local.

    a regional meeting of the Boy Scouts.

  2. of or relating to a particular region, district, area, or part, as of a country; sectional; local.

    regional differences in pronunciation.

  3. Medicine/Medical, Anatomy. pertaining to, affecting, or localized in a particular area or part of the body.

    regional anesthesia.

  4. having, exhibiting, or characterized by regionalism.

    He writes regional novels.

noun

  1. Often regionals. a regional competition or tournament.

    The basketball team won the regionals.

  2. a regional company, branch, stock exchange, etc..

    Regionals are getting stiff competition from the national firms.
regional British  
/ ˈriːdʒənəl /

adjective

  1. of, characteristic of, or limited to a region

    the regional dialects of English
"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

Other Word Forms

  • interregional adjective
  • interregionally adverb
  • regionally adverb

Etymology

Origin of regional

From the Latin word regiōnālis, dating back to 1645–55. See region, -al 1

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 diplomatic dispute arises from the ambiguous role that Rwanda, best known to many Americans for the 1994 genocide, now plays as a regional strongman.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The government maintains that Australia has all the fuel it needs, but panic buying and distribution problems have created regional shortages.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Guy Ingerson was due to top the regional list for the party in the North East of Scotland in May.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

“It’s not a regional work. So, you know, I’m here to offer my expertise and my heart to California and to any place that I travel.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Often their words were set down in a style that attempted to capture the original regional dialect and grammar.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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.