region

noun

re·​gion ˈrÄ“-jÉ™n 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Kansas City region is home to more than 3,000 unique cultural assets, according to the nonprofit ArtsKC. Hannah Wise, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2025 These observers fail to grasp that the population within this region exhibits rapid adoption of new trends. Cristian Munoz, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 The Elk Grove High School alum stayed with his parents roughly 20 minutes south of the stadium while his big-league team played in California’s capital region for the first time. Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 8 May 2025 For males in the same region, life expectancy increased by less than two years since the 1950 cohort. Jordan King john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for region

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Region.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/region. Accessed 11 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

region

noun
re·​gion ˈrÄ“-jÉ™n 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 ˈrÄ“-jÉ™n 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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