zoning

American  

[zoh-ning] / ˈzoʊ nɪŋ /

adjective

1. (especially in city planning) of or relating to the division of an area into zones, as to restrict the number and types of buildings and their uses.

   zoning laws.

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zoning Cultural  

1. The establishment by local governments of districts that are restricted to various types of manufacturing, commercial, or residential use.

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Etymology

Origin of zoning

First recorded in 1810–20; zone + -ing ²

Explanation

Zoning is the process of splitting areas of land up into sections and clarifying what each of those sections can be used for. Your city's zoning might not allow you to build an enormous lighthouse in your front yard. Laws in a town or city that restrict what you can use land for are collectively known as zoning. Your neighborhood's zoning might allow multifamily homes and small businesses, while your cousin's area of town may have zoning that restricts it to single-family houses. In cities, zoning laws dictate where schools, medical clinics, homeless shelters, restaurants, parking lots, and liquor stores can be built. It may seem boring, but zoning affects daily life for most people.

Example Sentences

Delta Township, Mich., a suburb of Lansing, is using zoning to keep storage facilities off its main thoroughfares.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

These purchase decisions are being made by fiat, as federally owned property is often exempt from local permitting and zoning rules.

From Slate • Mar. 12, 2026

The memorandum describes the current single-family residential zoning as “favorable” for developers; however, the city and mobile housing law experts have painted a different picture.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Beyond the zoning laws, the site is also currently governed by a state law requiring cities to preserve affordable housing along the coast and a city ordinance protecting mobile home residents against sudden displacement.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

The group warned Mayor Grabarek about the situation and asked that the council deny Greenberg’s request for a zoning waiver that would allow him to build even more properties in Edgemont.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson