What does "district" mean?
An administrative division of an area.
District
/ˈdɪstɹɪkt/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An administrative division of an area.
- Grammar: district is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abode, administrative area, administrative district, administrative division.
- Useful contrasts: national attribute, colombia, global.
- Usage evidence: The fire and power outage resulted in a shortened workday at some exchanges in Manhattan's financial district.
How to use "district"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "district" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "district" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "district" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "district" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "district" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abode" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "district", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An administrative division of an area.
"‘I understand that the district was considered a sort of sanctuary,’ the Chief was saying. ‘An Alsatia like the ancient one behind the Strand, or the Saffron Hill before the First World War.[…]’"
- 2 a region marked off for administrative or other purposes wordnet
- 3 An area or region marked by some distinguishing feature.
"the Lake District in Cumbria"
- 4 An administrative division of a county without the status of a borough. UK
"South Oxfordshire District Council"
- 5 A specific, usually named area of the coalface where particular seams are worked.
Verb
- 1 To divide into administrative or other districts. transitive
- 2 regulate housing in; of certain areas of towns wordnet
Adjective
- 1 rigorous; stringent; harsh obsolete
"punishing with the rod of district severity"
Proper Noun
- 1 The District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States. informal
- 2 Any of numerous governmental districts.
- 3 The District Line of the London Underground, originally known as the District Railway.
"The District seems complacently salubrious. It is green on the Tube map, an inoffensive colour. It has not one but two bridge crossings of the Thames, which seems greedy when you think that no other [underground] line has even one."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The fire and power outage resulted in a shortened workday at some exchanges in Manhattan's financial district."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "district"?
Common synonyms include: abode, administrative area, administrative district, administrative division, air space, aires.
How do you use "district" in a sentence?
The fire and power outage resulted in a shortened workday at some exchanges in Manhattan's financial district.
How do you pronounce "district"?
Pronounced /ˈdɪstɹɪkt/.
Etymology
From French district, from Medieval Latin districtus (“a district within which the lord may distrain, also jurisdiction”), from Latin districtus, past participle of distringere (“to draw asunder, compel, distrain”), from dis- (“apart”) + stringere (“to draw tight, strain”). Doublet of Detroit.