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
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 researchers found that different neural patterns in this region correspond to different sounds—a process that mirrors how human brains encode speech. Ella Jeffries, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025 This park is best known for being in the center of Georgia’s leaf-peeping region, so fall is the prime time to visit. Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 21 Mar. 2025 Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 43 Ukrainian drones, 34 of them over the Volgograd region and others over Rostov, Kursk and Belgorod regions. Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025 Nearly six years after the 28-room Urban Cowboy Lodge opened in New York’s Catskills region, the property is expanding onto the adjacent 200 acres that previously housed the Slide Mountain Inn in Oliverea. Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 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 24 Mar. 2025.

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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