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Definition of area noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

area

noun
 OPAL WOPAL S
 
/ˈeəriə/
 
/ˈeriə/
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    part of place

  1.  
     [countable] part of a place, town, etc., or a region of a country or the world
    • to improve access to services in rural areas
    • urban/metropolitan/residential areas
    • The farm and surrounding area were flooded.
    • She knows the local area very well.
    • area around… the area around San Francisco
    • Large areas of the city were destroyed in the earthquake.
    • over a… area Wreckage from the plane was scattered over a wide area.
    • Thousands of tourists visit the area every year.
    • in the area There are lots of things to do in the area.
    • Ted has lived in this area all his life.
    • People who live in remote areas of the country may not have access to electricity.
    • A lot of new people have moved into the area recently.
    • John is the London area manager.
    see also catchment area, conservation area, development area, no-go area, staging area
    Extra Examples
    • There is heavy traffic in the downtown area tonight.
    • Few homes in the area had electricity.
    • He slowly turned around, surveying the area.
    • I explored the area on my day off.
    • Police patrol the area regularly.
    • The storm surges have brought significant flooding to low-lying coastal areas.
    • We were in a secluded area far away from the rest of the school.
    • environmentally sensitive areas
    • people living in socially deprived areas
    • Do not use the spray in enclosed areas.
    Topics Geographya1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • huge
    • large
    • vast
    • …
    verb + area
    • inhabit
    • live in
    • move into
    • …
    area + noun
    • manager
    • office
    • hospital
    • …
    preposition
    • in an/​the area
    • outside an/​the area
    • within an/​the area
    • …
    See full entry
  2.  
     [countable] a part of a room, building or particular space that is used for a special purpose
    • the hotel reception area
    • a play/parking/dining area
    Synonyms placeplacesite ▪ area ▪ position ▪ point ▪ location ▪ scene ▪ spot ▪ venueThese are all words for a particular area or part of an area, especially one used for a particular purpose or where somebody/​something is situated or happens.place a particular point, area, city, town, building, etc., especially one used for a particular purpose or where a particular thing happens:
    • This would be a good place for a picnic.
    site the place where something, especially a building, is or will be located; a place where something happened or that is used for a particular purpose:
    • They’ve chosen a site for the new school.
    area a part of a room, building or particular space that is used for a special purpose; a particular place on an object:
    • the hotel reception area
    • Move the cursor to a blank area on the screen.
    position the place where a person or thing is located; the place where somebody/​something is meant to be:
    • From his position at the top of the hill, he could see the harbour.
    The position of somebody/​something is often temporary: the place where somebody/​something is at a particular time.    point a particular place within an area, where something happens or is supposed to happen:
    • the point at which the river divides
    location a place where something happens or exists, especially a place that is not named or not known:
    • The company is moving to a new location.
    scene a place where something happens, especially something unpleasant:
    • the scene of the accident
    spot a particular point or area, especially one that has a particular character or where something particular happens:
    • The lake is one of the local beauty spots.
    venue the place where people meet for an organized event such as a performance or sports event.    Patterns
    • at a place/​site/​position/​point/​location/​scene/​spot/​venue
    • in a(n) place/​area/​position/​location/​venue
    • the place/​site/​point/​location/​spot/​venue where…
    • the right place/​site/​position/​location/​spot/​venue
    • a central site/​position/​location/​venue
    • the/​somebody’s/​something’s exact/​precise place/​site/​position/​point/​location/​spot
    see also rest area, service area
    Extra Examples
    • Park and sail in the designated areas and respect the other beach users.
    • The hotel has an outdoor area that rivals any Las Vegas hotel.
    • Keep storage areas locked.
    • He was shown to a table in the VIP area.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • dining
    • lounge
    • reception
    • …
    preposition
    • in an/​the area
    See full entry
    3.

    particular place

  3.  
     [countable] a particular place on an object
    • The treatment targets the affected areas of the brain.
    • The tumour had not spread to other areas of the body.
    • Move the cursor to a blank area of the computer screen.
    4.

    subject/activity

  4.  
     [countable] a particular subject or activity, or an aspect of it
    • Finance is Mark's area.
    • The course covers two main subject areas.
    • area of something The report focuses on three key areas of concern.
    • That's outside my specific area of expertise.
    • area for something We have identified several areas for improvement.
    • in this area More research is needed in this area.
    • in the area of something to improve skills in the areas of critical thinking and problem-solving
    see also grey area
    Extra Examples
    • the areas of training and development
    • The report covers several areas of social policy.
    • We are generally pleased with the results but there are a few areas of concern.
    • There have been some exciting new developments in this area.
    • The research explores three areas.
    • Taxation is a very complex area.
    • I am partially sighted but can cope well in most areas of life.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • broad
    • important
    • key
    • …
    verb + area
    • cover
    • explore
    • identify
    • …
    preposition
    • in an/​the area
    phrases
    • an area of activity
    • an area of life
    • an area of concern
    • …
    See full entry
    5.

    measurement

  5.  
     [countable, uncountable] the amount of space covered by a flat surface or piece of land, described as a measurement
    • the area of a triangle
    • Measure the surface area.
    • The estate covers an area of 106 acres.
    • in area The room is 12 square metres in area.
    Extra Examples
    • Britain occupies a total area of 88 798 square miles.
    • A large building with a floor area of 100m2.
    • The country has a total area of around a million square miles.
    • The province covers an area roughly the size of Wales.
    Topics Maths and measurementb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • large
    • small
    • total
    • …
    verb + area
    • cover
    • have
    See full entry
    6.

    football

  6. the area
     [singular]
    (also penalty box (both British English), penalty area British and North American English)
    (in football (soccer)) the area in front of the goal. If the defending team breaks the rules within this area, the other team is given a penalty.
    • He shot from just outside the area.
    Topics Sports: ball and racket sportsc1
    7. Word Originmid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘space allocated for a specific purpose’): from Latin, literally ‘vacant piece of level ground’.
See area in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee area in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: area

Nearby words

sufficiently
adverb
 
 
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