district

1 of 2

noun

dis·​trict ˈdi-(ˌ)strikt 

often attributive

1

a

: a territorial division (as for administrative or electoral purposes)

b

: the basic administrative unit for local government in Northern Ireland

2

: an area, region, or section with a distinguishing character

a shopping district

district

2 of 2

verb

districted; districting; districts

transitive verb

: to divide or organize into districts

Synonyms

Noun

• nabe
• neighborhood
• quarter
• section

Examples of district in a Sentence

Noun

Six police officers are in charge of the district.

She represents the eighth congressional district.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Most offer huge returns in terms of location — situated in medieval villages or districts packed with history and scenic views, in quiet and offbeat locations far from the crowds. —Silvia Marchetti, CNN Money, 18 May 2025

The common element is that a single federal judge in one of 94 regional districts paused a policy for the entire country while the case is being litigated. —Bart Jansen, USA Today, 18 May 2025

Verb

Nevada Any school buses that districts purchase after July 2019 must be equiped with lap-shoulder belts. —Keri Heath, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Nov. 2024

Larger cities, like Surprise and Mesa, are districted, allowing only voters in a respective area to select their representative. —Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 25 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Medieval Latin districtus jurisdiction, district, from distringere to distrain — more at distrain

First Known Use

Noun

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1792, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing district

• business district
• congressional district
• district attorney
• district court
• federal district
• federal district court
• inter-district
• multimember district
• school district
• senatorial district
• single-member district
• special district
• sub-district
• urban district

Rhymes for district

• subdistrict

Kids Definition

district

1 of 2 noun

dis·​trict ˈdis-(ˌ)trikt 

1

: an area or section (as of a city or nation) set apart for some purpose

a school district

a judicial district

2

: an area or region having some special feature

a coal-mining district

district

2 of 2 verb

: to divide or organize into districts

Legal Definition

district

noun

dis·​trict

: a territorial division (as of a nation, state, county, or city) for administrative, judicial, electoral, or other purposes: as

a

: an administrative unit especially of a town or city established for the performance of a special governmental function

the water district

park district

b

: congressional district

c

: one of the divisions of the United States or of the individual states served by a particular federal or state court