region

A region is an area. A region can be geographic — like a part of a country. A region can be intellectual — like a region of the mind. There are also bodily regions — like abdominal, thoracic, and posterior.

A region is any space that is distinct from another area. The word region is from the Latin regionem which means “direction, boundary, district.” When you go to California you may want to travel north to the wine region, which will stimulate the taste-receptor region of your brain. After that, if you go south to the filmmaking region of Hollywood, you will excite the “movie-and-entertainment” region of your mind.

Definitions of region
  1. noun
    the extended spatial location of something
    “the farming regions of France”
    “regions of outer space”
    synonyms: part
    see moresee less
    examples:
    show 56 examples...
    hide 56 examples...
    D region
    the lowest region of the ionosphere (35 to 50 miles up) that reflects low-frequency radio waves
    Appleton layer
    the highest region of the ionosphere (from 90 to 600 miles up) which contains the highest concentration of free electrons and is most useful for long-range radio transmission
    Kennelly-Heaviside layer
    a region of the ionosphere (from 50 to 90 miles up) that reflects radio waves of medium length
    Achaea
    a region of ancient Greece on the north coast of the Peloponnese
    Doris
    a small region of ancient Greece where the Doric dialect was spoken
    Cynoscephalae
    the fields in Thessaly where in 197 BC the Romans defeated the Macedonians
    Transylvania
    a historical plateau region in northwestern Romania that is separated from the rest of the country by the Transylvanian Alps; originally part of Hungary; incorporated into Romania at the end of World War I
    Witwatersrand
    a rocky region in the southern Transvaal in northeastern South Africa; contains rich gold deposits and coal and manganese
    Bible Belt
    southern and midwestern United States where Protestant fundamentalism is dominant
    Green Line
    the border marking the boundaries of the land that Israel won in its 1948 war of independence
    Line of Control
    a 450-mile line that is supposed to indicate the boundary between the part of Kashmir controlled by India and the part controlled by Pakistan
    Corn Belt
    the midwestern states where corn is grown; Iowa and Illinois are excellent for raising corn and corn-fed livestock
    Rubicon
    the boundary in ancient times between Italy and Gaul; Caesar's crossing it with his army in 49 BC was an act of war
    Van Allen belt
    a belt of charged particles (resulting from cosmic rays) above the Earth trapped by the Earth's magnetic field
    Aries the Ram
    the first sign of the zodiac which the sun enters at the vernal equinox; the sun is in this sign from about March 21 to April 19
    Taurus the Bull
    the second sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about April 20 to May 20
    Gemini the Twins
    the third sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about May 21 to June 20
    Cancer the Crab
    the fourth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about June 21 to July 22
    Leo the Lion
    the fifth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about July 23 to August 22
    Virgo the Virgin
    the sixth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about August 23 to September 22
    Libra the Balance
    the seventh sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about September 23 to October 22
    Scorpio the Scorpion
    the eighth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about October 23 to November 21
    Sagittarius the Archer
    the ninth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about November 22 to December 21
    Capricorn the Goat
    the tenth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about December 22 to January 19
    Aquarius the Water Bearer
    the eleventh sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about January 20 to February 18
    Pisces the Fishes
    the twelfth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about February 19 to March 20
    Triple Frontier
    the border area where Argentina and Brazil and Paraguay meet; an active South American center for contraband and drug trafficking and money laundering; a suspected locale for Islamic extremist groups
    Panama Canal Zone
    a zone consisting of a strip of land across the Isthmus of Panama that contains the Panama Canal
    Home Counties
    the English counties surrounding London into which Greater London has expanded
    Avon
    a county in southwestern England
    Berkshire
    a county in southern England
    Cornwall
    a hilly county in southwestern England
    Cumbria
    a county of northwestern England
    Devonshire
    a county in southwestern England
    Essex
    a county in southeastern England on the North Sea and the Thames estuary
    Gloucestershire
    a county in southwestern England in the lower Severn valley
    Hampshire
    a county of southern England on the English Channel
    Hertfordshire
    a county in southern England
    Kent
    a county in southeastern England on the English Channel; formerly an Anglo-Saxon kingdom, it was the first to be colonized by the Romans
    Somerset
    a county in southwestern England on the Bristol Channel
    East Sussex
    a county in southern England on the English Channel
    West Sussex
    a county in southern England on the English Channel
    Leicestershire
    a largely agricultural county in central England
    Lincolnshire
    an agricultural county of eastern England on the North Sea
    Northumberland
    the northernmost county of England; has many Roman remains (including Hadrian's Wall)
    Surrey
    a county in southeastern England on the Thames
    North Yorkshire
    a county in northern England
    West Yorkshire
    a metropolitan county in northern England
    South Yorkshire
    a metropolitan county in northern England
    Northamptonshire
    a county is central England
    Sussex
    a county in southern England on the English Channel; formerly an Anglo-Saxon kingdom that was captured by Wessex in the 9th century
    Mohorovicic discontinuity
    the boundary between the Earth's crust and the underlying mantle
    Mason and Dixon's line
    the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania; symbolic dividing line between North and South before the American Civil War
    A horizon
    the top layer of a soil profile; usually contains humus
    B horizon
    immediately below the A-horizon; contains deposits of organic matter leached from surface soils
    C horizon
    beneath the B-horizon and above the bedrock; consisting of weathered rock
    types:
    show 92 types...
    hide 92 types...
    air, atmosphere
    the mass of air surrounding the Earth
    biosphere
    the regions of the surface and atmosphere of the Earth (or other planet) where living organisms exist
    depth
    (usually plural) the deepest and most remote part
    interplanetary space
    the part of outer space within the solar system
    interstellar space
    the space between stars
    heliosphere
    the region inside the heliopause containing the sun and solar system
    intergalactic space
    the space between galaxies
    deep space
    any region in space outside the solar system
    aerospace
    the atmosphere and outer space considered as a whole
    zone
    an area or region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic
    belt
    an elongated region where a specific condition or characteristic is found
    bottom
    the lowest part of anything
    county
    (United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government
    distance
    a distant region
    Eden, Shangri-la, heaven, nirvana, paradise, promised land
    any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
    extremity
    the outermost or farthest region or point
    hell, hell on earth, hellhole, inferno, snake pit, the pits
    any place of pain and turmoil
    inside, interior
    the region that is inside of something
    ionosphere
    the outer region of the Earth's atmosphere; contains a high concentration of free electrons
    layer
    a relatively thin sheetlike expanse or region lying over or under another
    exterior, outside
    the region that is outside of something
    radius
    a circular region whose area is indicated by the length of its radius
    side
    a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
    air
    the region above the ground
    vacuity, vacuum
    a region that is devoid of matter
    top
    the upper part of anything
    zodiac
    a belt-shaped region in the heavens on either side to the ecliptic; divided into 12 constellations or signs for astrological purposes
    house, mansion, planetary house, sign, sign of the zodiac, star sign
    (astrology) one of 12 equal areas into which the zodiac is divided
    Papua
    the southeastern part of Papua New Guinea
    Sind
    a region of southeastern Pakistan
    black hole
    a region of space resulting from the collapse of a star; extremely high gravitational field
    Edgeworth-Kuiper belt, Kuiper belt
    a disk-shaped region of minor planets outside the orbit of Neptune
    mare, maria
    a dark region of considerable extent on the surface of the moon
    cap, capital, chapiter
    the upper part of a column that supports the entablature
    masthead
    the head or top of a mast
    crown
    the part of a tooth above the gum that is covered with enamel
    asteroid belt
    the region of interplanetary space between Mars and Jupiter where most asteroids are found
    back of beyond
    a very remote and inaccessible place
    airspace
    the atmosphere above a nation that is deemed to be under its jurisdiction
    foot
    the lower part of anything
    base
    (anatomy) the part of an organ nearest its point of attachment
    rock bottom
    the absolute bottom
    bound, boundary, bounds
    the line or plane indicating the limit or extent of something
    end, terminal
    either extremity of something that has length
    extreme, extreme point, extremum
    the point located farthest from the middle of something
    greenbelt, greenway
    a belt of parks or rural land surrounding a town or city
    midland
    the interior part of a country
    midst, thick
    the location of something surrounded by other things
    penetralia
    the innermost parts
    limit
    as far as something can go
    open, open air, out-of-doors, outdoors
    where the air is unconfined
    bedside
    space by the side of a bed (especially the bed of a sick or dying person)
    blind side
    the side on which your vision is limited or obstructed
    dockside
    the region adjacent to a boat dock
    east side
    the side that is on the east
    hand
    a position given by its location to the side of an object
    north side
    the side that is on the north
    shipside
    the part of a wharf that is next to a ship
    south side
    the side that is on the south
    west side
    the side that is on the west
    stratum
    one of several parallel layers of material arranged one on top of another (such as a layer of tissue or cells in an organism or a layer of sedimentary rock)
    head
    the top of something
    buffer, buffer zone
    a neutral zone between two rival powers that is created in order to diminish the danger of conflict
    combat area, combat zone
    a military area where combat forces operate
    danger zone
    a dangerous area
    DMZ, demilitarized zone
    a zone from which military forces or operations or installations are prohibited
    drop zone, dropping zone
    an agreed area where military supplies are dropped to ground troops
    kill zone, killing zone
    an area where a battle has occurred with many fatalities
    strike zone
    (baseball) the area over home plate between a batter's knees and shoulders through which a pitch must pass in order to be called a strike
    tidal zone
    an area subject to tidal action
    asthenosphere
    the lower layer of the crust
    chromosphere
    a gaseous layer of the sun's atmosphere (extending from the photosphere to the corona) that is visible during a total eclipse of the sun
    Earth's crust, crust
    the outer layer of the Earth
    exosphere
    the outermost atmospheric layer
    hydrosphere
    the watery layer of the earth's surface; includes water vapor
    interplanetary medium
    interplanetary space including forms of energy and gas and dust
    interstellar medium
    interstellar space including streams of protons moving from the stars
    geosphere, lithosphere
    the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle
    lower mantle
    the deeper part of the mantle
    mantle
    the layer of the earth between the crust and the core
    mesosphere
    the atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphere
    ozone layer, ozonosphere
    a layer in the stratosphere (at approximately 20 miles) that contains a concentration of ozone sufficient to block most ultraviolet radiation from the sun
    stratosphere
    the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere
    Earth's surface, surface
    the outermost level of the land or sea
    thermosphere
    the atmospheric layer between the mesosphere and the exosphere
    tropopause
    the region of discontinuity between the troposphere and the stratosphere
    troposphere
    the lowest atmospheric layer; from 4 to 11 miles high (depending on latitude)
    upper mantle
    the upper part of the mantle
    Isle of Wight, Wight
    an isle and county of southern England in the English Channel
    cell wall
    a rigid layer of polysaccharides enclosing the membrane of plant and prokaryotic cells; maintains the shape of the cell and serves as a protective barrier
    crown, treetop
    the upper branches and leaves of a tree or other plant
    snow
    a layer of snowflakes (white crystals of frozen water) covering the ground
    type of:
    location
    a point or extent in space
  2. noun
    a large indefinite location on the surface of the Earth
    “penguins inhabit the polar regions”
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 108 types...
    hide 108 types...
    area, country
    a particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography)
    backwater
    a place or condition in which no development or progress is occurring
    breadbasket
    a geographic region serving as the principal source of grain
    theater of war, theatre of war
    the entire land, sea, and air area that may become or is directly involved in war operations
    field, field of operations, theater, theater of operations, theatre, theatre of operations
    a region in which active military operations are in progress
    zone of interior
    the part of the theater of war not included in the theater of operations
    district, dominion, territorial dominion, territory
    a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
    demesne, domain, land
    territory over which rule or control is exercised
    northland
    any region lying in or toward the north
    southland
    any region lying in or toward the south
    field
    somewhere (away from a studio or office or library or laboratory) where practical work is done or data is collected
    geographic area, geographic region, geographical area, geographical region
    a demarcated area of the Earth
    biogeographical region
    an area of the Earth determined by distribution of flora and fauna
    heartland
    the central region of a country or continent; especially a region that is important to a country or to a culture
    irredenta, irridenta
    a region that is related ethnically or historically to one country but is controlled politically by another
    antipodes
    any two places or regions on diametrically opposite sides of the Earth
    terra incognita, unknown, unknown region
    an unknown and unexplored region
    laboratory, testing ground
    a region resembling a laboratory inasmuch as it offers opportunities for observation and practice and experimentation
    administrative district, administrative division, territorial division
    a district defined for administrative purposes
    soil, territory
    the geographical area under the jurisdiction of a sovereign state
    arena
    the central area of an ancient Roman amphitheater where contests and spectacles were held; especially an area that was strewn with sand
    high country
    an area lying above the piedmont but below the timberline
    bed ground, bed-ground, bedground
    an area on which a drove of cattle or sheep can sleep for a night
    colony, dependency
    a geographical area politically controlled by a distant country
    semidesert
    a region much like a desert but usually located between a desert and the surrounding regions
    border district, borderland, march, marchland
    district consisting of the area on either side of a border or boundary of a country or an area
    narco-state
    an area that has been taken over and is controlled and corrupted by drug cartels and where law enforcement is effectively nonexistent
    place, property
    any area set aside for a particular purpose
    broadcast area
    the area over which a radio or tv transmission can be received
    basin, catchment area, catchment basin, drainage area, drainage basin, river basin, watershed
    the entire geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries; an area characterized by all runoff being conveyed to the same outlet
    center, centre, eye, heart, middle
    an area that is approximately central within some larger region
    city district
    a district of a town or city
    environs, purlieu
    an outer adjacent area of any place
    geographical zone, zone
    any of the regions of the surface of the Earth loosely divided according to latitude or longitude
    congressional district
    a territorial division of a state; entitled to elect one member to the United States House of Representatives
    corner
    a place off to the side of an area
    corner
    a remote area
    development
    a district that has been developed to serve some purpose
    disaster area
    a region whose population is affected by a general disaster
    enclave
    an enclosed territory that is culturally distinct from the foreign territory that surrounds it
    palatinate
    a territory under the jurisdiction of a count palatine
    community, residential area, residential district
    a district where people live; occupied primarily by private residences
    archduchy
    the domain controlled by an archduke or archduchess
    barony
    the domain of a baron
    duchy, dukedom
    the domain controlled by a duke or duchess
    earldom
    the domain controlled by an earl or count or countess
    emirate
    the domain controlled by an emir
    empire, imperium
    the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
    fiefdom
    the domain controlled by a feudal lord
    grand duchy
    the domain controlled by a grand duke or grand duchess
    viscounty
    the domain controlled by a viscount or viscountess
    khanate
    the realm of a khan
    kingdom, realm
    the domain ruled by a king or queen
    princedom, principality
    territory ruled by a prince
    sheikdom, sheikhdom
    the domain ruled by a sheik
    suzerainty
    the domain of a suzerain
    environment, environs, surround, surroundings
    the area in which something exists or lives
    dust bowl
    a region subject to dust storms; especially the central region of United States subject to dust storms in the 1930s
    benthic division, benthonic zone, benthos
    a region including the bottom of the sea and the littoral zones
    goldfield
    a district where gold is mined
    hangout, haunt, repair, resort, stamping ground
    a frequently visited place
    fireside, hearth
    an area near a fireplace (usually paved and extending out into a room)
    hunting ground
    an area in which game is hunted
    hemisphere
    half of the terrestrial globe
    hot spot, hotspot
    a place of political unrest and potential violence
    jurisdiction
    in law; the territory within which power can be exercised
    mandate, mandatory
    a territory surrendered by Turkey or Germany after World War I and put under the tutelage of some other European power until they are able to stand by themselves
    no-go area
    an area that is dangerous or impossible to enter or to which entry is forbidden
    no man's land
    an unoccupied area between the front lines of opposing armies
    panhandle
    a relatively narrow strip of land projecting from some larger area
    associated state, protectorate
    a state or territory partly controlled by (but not a possession of) a stronger state but autonomous in internal affairs; protectorates are established by treaty
    quadrant
    the area enclosed by two perpendicular radii of a circle
    quadrant
    any of the four areas into which a plane is divided by two orthogonal coordinate axes
    rain shadow
    an area that has little precipitation because some barrier causes the winds to lose their moisture before reaching it
    possession
    a territory that is controlled by a ruling state
    staging area
    an area where troops and equipment in transit are assembled before a military operation
    clear, open
    a clear or unobstructed space or expanse of land or water
    free port, free zone
    an area adjoining a port where goods that are intended for reshipment can be received and stored without payment of duties
    anchorage, anchorage ground
    place for vessels to anchor
    playground, resort area, vacation spot
    an area where many people go for recreation
    block, city block
    a rectangular area in a city surrounded by streets and usually containing several buildings
    neighborhood
    an area within a city or town that has some distinctive features (especially one forming a community)
    retreat
    a place of privacy; a place affording peace and quiet
    refuge, safety
    a safe place
    danger
    a dangerous place
    country, rural area
    an area outside of cities and towns
    scene
    the place where some action occurs
    section
    a distinct region or subdivision of a territorial or political area or community or group of people
    shrubbery
    an area where a number of shrubs are planted
    space
    an area reserved for some particular purpose
    sphere, sphere of influence
    the geographical area in which one nation is very influential
    field
    a geographic region (land or sea) under which something valuable is found
    tank farm
    an area used exclusively for storing petroleum in large tanks
    settlement
    an area where a group of families live together
    parcel, parcel of land, piece of ground, piece of land, tract
    an extended area of land
    trust territory, trusteeship
    a dependent country; administered by another country under the supervision of the United Nations
    populated area, urban area
    a geographical area constituting a city or town
    wild, wilderness
    a wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition
    winner's circle
    a small area at a racecourse where awards are given to the owners of winning horses
    killing field
    (usually plural) an area where many people have died (usually by massacre or genocide during war or violent civil disturbance)
    northern Europe
    the northernmost countries of Europe
    British East Africa
    the former British territories of eastern Africa, including Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda, and Zanzibar
    British West Africa
    the former British territories of western Africa, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Gambia, Togo, Sierra Leone, and the Gold Coast
    French region
    a geographical subdivision of France
    Baltic Republic, Baltic State
    European countries bordering the Baltic Sea
    Colony
    one of the 13 British colonies that formed the original states of the United States
    Dar al-Islam, House of Islam
    areas where Muslims are in the majority
    Dar al-harb, House of War
    areas where Muslims are in the minority and are persecuted
    type of:
    location
    a point or extent in space
  3. noun
    a knowledge domain that you are interested in or are communicating about
    “here we enter the region of opinion”
    synonyms: realm
    see moresee less
    type of:
    domain, knowledge base, knowledge domain
    the content of a particular field of knowledge
  4. noun
    the approximate amount of something (usually used prepositionally as in `in the region of')
    “it was going to take in the region of two or three months to finish the job”
    synonyms: neighborhood
    see moresee less
    type of:
    indefinite quantity
    an estimated quantity
  5. noun
    a part of an animal that has a special function or is supplied by a given artery or nerve
    “in the abdominal region”
    synonyms: area
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 32 types...
    hide 32 types...
    erogenous zone
    any area of the body especially sensitive to sexual stimulation
    pressure point
    an area on the skin that is highly sensitive to pressure
    hypochondrium
    the upper region of the abdomen just below the lowest ribs on either side of the epigastrium
    area of cardiac dullness
    a triangular area of the front of the chest (determined by percussion); corresponds to the part of the heart not covered by the lungs
    epigastrium
    the region lying on or over the stomach (just below the sternum)
    fovea, fovea centralis
    area consisting of a small depression in the retina containing cones and where vision is most acute
    parafovea
    area of the retina immediately surrounding the fovea
    macula, macula lutea, macular area, yellow spot
    a small yellowish central area of the retina that is rich in cones and that mediates clear detailed vision
    cortical area, cortical region
    any of various regions of the cerebral cortex
    perineum
    the general region between the anus and the genital organs
    side
    either the left or right half of a body
    cleavage
    the line formed by a groove between two parts (especially the separation between a woman's breasts)
    areola, ring of color
    small circular area such as that around the human nipple or an inflamed area around a pimple or insect bite
    middle, midriff, midsection
    the middle area of the human torso (usually in front)
    waist, waistline
    the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips
    loins, pubes, pubic region
    the lower part of the abdomen just above the external genital organs
    palm, thenar
    the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
    thenar
    the fleshy area of the palm at the base of the thumb
    sole
    the underside of the foot
    half-moon, lunula, lunule
    the crescent-shaped area at the base of the human fingernail
    groin, inguen
    the crease at the junction of the inner part of the thigh with the trunk together with the adjacent region and often including the external genitals
    quick
    any area of the body that is highly sensitive to pain (as the flesh underneath the skin or a fingernail or toenail)
    association area, association cortex
    cortical areas that are neither motor or sensory but are thought to be involved in higher processing of information
    auditory area, auditory cortex
    the cortical area that receives auditory information from the medial geniculate body
    Brodmann's area
    one of the cortical areas mapped out on the basis of its cytoarchitecture
    language area, language zone
    a large cortical area (in the left hemisphere in most people) containing all the centers associated with language
    Rolando's area, excitable area, motor area, motor cortex, motor region
    the cortical area that influences motor movements
    sensorium
    the areas of the brain that process and register incoming sensory information and make possible the conscious awareness of the world
    sensorimotor area, sensorimotor region
    an area of the cortex including the precentral gyrus and the postcentral gyrus and combining sensory and motor functions
    visual area, visual cortex
    the cortical area that receives information from the lateral geniculate body of the thalamus
    Brodmann's area 17, area 17 of Brodmann, first visual area, striate area, striate cortex
    the part of the occipital cortex that receives the fibers of the optic radiation from the lateral geniculate body and is the primary receptive area for vision
    wasp waist
    a very slender waist
    type of:
    body part
    any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity
Word Family