sector

American  

[sek-ter] / ˈsɛk tər /

noun

1. Geometry. a plane figure bounded by two radii and the included arc of a circle.

2. a distinct part, especially of society or of a nation's economy.

   the housing sector; the educational sector.

3. a section or zone, as of a city.

4. Military. a designated defense area, usually in a combat zone, within which a particular military unit operates and for which it is responsible.

5. a mathematical instrument consisting of two flat rulers hinged together at one end and bearing various scales.

6. Machinery. a device used in connection with an index plate, consisting of two arms rotating about the center of the plate and set to indicate the angle through which the work is indexed.

7. Astronomy. an instrument shaped like a sector of a circle, having a variable central angle and sights along the two straight sides, for measuring the angular distance between two celestial bodies.

8. Computers. a portion of a larger block of storage, as 1/128 of a track or disk.

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verb (used with object)

1. to divide into sectors.

sector British  

/ ˈsɛktə /

noun

1. a part or subdivision, esp of a society or an economy

   the private sector

2. geometry either portion of a circle included between two radii and an arc. Area: 1/ 2 r ²θ, where r is the radius and θ is the central angle subtended by the arc (in radians)

3. a measuring instrument consisting of two graduated arms hinged at one end

4. a part or subdivision of an area of military operations

5. computing the smallest addressable portion of the track on a magnetic tape, disk, or drum store

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sector Scientific  

/ sĕk′tər /

1. The part of a circle bounded by two radii and the arc between them.

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Other Word Forms

• sectoral adjective
• subsector noun

Etymology

Origin of sector

First recorded in 1560–70; from Late Latin, from Latin: “cutter,” from sec(āre) “to cut, divide” + -tor -tor

Explanation

Sector sounds like section, doesn't it? That's a good way to remember that a sector is a specific part of society or the economy, made up of similar elements — like the health care sector or the education sector. Our most common use of the word sector refers to a society’s divisions. For example, our economy is divided into the private sector (privately-owned interests) and the public sector (government). Other than that, the word also has many technical applications in math and science. From the Latin verb secare, "to cut," sector was applied long ago to math as a section of a circle, which carried through to military language as "a circle around a headquarters."

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, Wall Street continued its trend of cheering news of large layoffs in the technology sector, which investors see as a sign of companies embracing AI to boost employee productivity.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

He remained active in the emerging-markets sector after his retirement, managing the Mobius Emerging Opportunities Fund since June 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

The touring landscape for theatre, music, dance and opera is "in crisis" in England and much of the sector needs "urgent corrective action if it is to survive", a major report has concluded.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

However, Wall Street is generally confident that Nvidia will continue to be the leader in AI chips as the sector begins to focus on inference —generating output from AI models—rather than training.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

We drive past half of Batalla sector and through a few poor blocks.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu

Related Words

• district
• part
• region
• zone