zonal

American  

[zohn-l] / ˈzoʊn l /

Also zonary

adjective

1. of or relating to a zone or zones.

2. of the nature of a zone.

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zonal British  

/ ˈzəʊnəl, ˈzəʊnərɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or of the nature of a zone

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Other Word Forms

• interzonal adjective
• nonzonal adjective
• nonzonally adverb
• zonally adverb

Etymology

Origin of zonal

First recorded in 1865–70; zone + -al ¹

Example Sentences

At the start of February, Pep said the game has more "man-marking" and is "more aggressive" whereas before it was more "zonal", referring to how teams behave when defending.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

Serbia set up to defend the corner in a zonal fashion, staying in specific zones.

From BBC • Sep. 10, 2025

“But right now ... the forecast is more zonal flow, which could mean more status quo.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 7, 2025

But he did confirm that the government was looking to shake-up the energy market, which he said could involve "zonal pricing and reformed national pricing".

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2025

Los Reyes is near the boundary between the Lower Austral and Arid Upper Tropical Zones but is preponderantly tropical in zonal character.

From The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacán, México by Duellman, William E.