region

noun

re·​gion ˈrē-jən How to pronounce region (audio)
1
: an administrative area, division, or district
especially : the basic administrative unit for local government in Scotland
2
a
: an indefinite area of the world or universe
b
: a broad geographic area distinguished by similar features
c(1)
: a major world area that supports a characteristic fauna
(2)
: an area characterized by the prevalence of one or more vegetational climax types
3
a
: any of the major subdivisions into which the body or one of its parts is divisible
b
: an indefinite area surrounding a specified body part
a pain in the region of the heart
4
: a sphere of activity or interest : field
5
: any of the zones into which the atmosphere is divided according to height or the sea according to depth
6
: an open connected set together with none, some, or all of the points on its boundary
a simple closed curve divides a plane into two regions

Examples of region in a Sentence

The bird returns to this region every year. He's the company sales manager for the entire Southwest region. She has a pain in the lower back region. attempts to go outside of London and stimulate cultural life in the regions
Recent Examples on the Web Russia’s deadliest terrorist attack was carried out by Chechen militants who besieged a school in the town of Beslan in the northern Caucasus region in 2004, holding 1,100 people hostage. Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024 San Diego State, Illinois and Iowa State are impressive teams that would have a chance to reach the Final Four in any other region. Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2024 The Sierra Nevada region in Northern California received a steady amount of snow Saturday morning, and the area will continue to see isolated snow showers, said NWS meteorologist Heather Richards. Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024 The governor of Moscow region, Andrey Vorobyov, said Saturday that the victims of the terror attack would receive financial compensation from the region and city governments. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 Most of those who fled went to the cities of Léogâne, Les Cayes and Jérémie in the southern region of Haiti, which while calmer is still recovering from a devastating 2021 earthquake that occurred five weeks after the assassination of the country’s president, Jovenel Moïse. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2024 The agency said the four were arrested in the Bryansk region, and were attempting to drive across the Russian-Ukraine border. Nick Spicer, NPR, 23 Mar. 2024 Someone had taken the initiative to drape a blue tarp over the statue’s nether regions. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024 Professor Yeh points out that the concepts behind the stories might have the potential to be exploited by other countries and regions for remakes. Faye Bradley, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'region.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English regioun, from Anglo-French regiun, from Latin region-, regio line, direction, area, from regere to direct

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of region was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near region

Cite this Entry

“Region.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/region. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

region

noun
re·​gion ˈrē-jən How to pronounce region (audio)
1
: an area, division, or district of administration
2
a
: a part, portion, or area having no fixed boundaries
darker regions of the night sky
b
: a broad geographic area
never visited the southwestern region of the U.S.
3
: an indefinite area surrounding a specified body part
a pain in the region of the heart
4
: a set of points any two of which can be connected by a line lying wholly within the set together with none, some, or all of the points on its boundary
a rectangular region

Medical Definition

region

noun
re·​gion ˈrē-jən How to pronounce region (audio)
1
: any of the major subdivisions into which the body or one of its parts is divisible
the nine regions of the abdomen
2
: an indefinite area surrounding a specified body part
a pain in the region of the heart

More from Merriam-Webster on region

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