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

The state wants Marblehead to open up its zoning laws so the town could allow 897 new housing units, with a minimum of 15 units per acre.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

The Boston area is among the nation’s priciest, has a chronic housing shortage and is packed with small cities and towns that control their own zoning rules.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Whatever the time horizon, the industry now faces the problem of zoning out, with systems that require supervision to ensure maximum safety.

From Barron's • May 3, 2026

Some balked when Nolen began talking about passing zoning rules, she said.

From Salon • May 3, 2026

“Just tell your dad,” he said, “that I’ve already submitted his zoning violation to the Community Council meeting.”

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos