local

1 of 2

adjective

lo·​cal ˈlō-kəl How to pronounce local (audio)
1
: characterized by or relating to position in space : having a definite spatial form or location
2
a
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular place : not general or widespread
b
: of, relating to, or applicable to part of a whole
3
a
: primarily serving the needs of a particular limited district
b
of a public conveyance : making all the stops on a route
4
: involving or affecting only a restricted part of the organism : topical
a local anesthetic
5
: of or relating to telephone communication within a specified area

local

2 of 2

noun

: a local person or thing: such as
a
: a local public conveyance (such as a train or an elevator)
b
: a local or particular branch, lodge, or chapter of an organization (such as a labor union)
c
British : a nearby or neighborhood pub

Examples of local in a Sentence

Adjective We had dinner at a local restaurant. The police have arrested a local man for the crime. This is a local shop for local people: we don't get many outsiders here. She took the local bus. Noun He's the president of the union local at the factory. the truck drivers are members of Local 349 of the Teamsters' Union
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Leavenworth is in so many ways a historical landmark, and a source of pride for active-duty soldiers, veterans, and the local community. Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024 She was sent to a local hospital in nearby Dearborn, Mich., and treated there before being returned to her family, MSP said. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 How well is their firm rated in the local area, and among their attorney peers? David Stubblefield, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 With elections for local, state and federal posts just months away, Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried is suspending the head of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, according to party officials. Max Greenwood, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 In San Francisco’s Mission District, Porter stood before a packed room of 200 people at Manny’s, a local community space and cafe on Sunday. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Drugmakers, wholesalers, pharmacies and other companies have agreed to settlements over the toll of opioids that are to pay state, local and Native American tribal governments more than $50 billion. Samantha Hendrickson, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Still, there was little doubt this week in Johannesburg that competition among rival streaming services is driving the local market. Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 3 Mar. 2024 Despite the strong move, local trading desks did not appear to see a lot of interest. Brendan Ahern, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
After the joint discussions on pension and health, IATSE is expected to begin bargaining the Basic Agreement, which affects 13 West Coast locals. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024 Hundreds of thousands of them now toil in South Korea, typically in small factories, or on remote farms or fishing boats — jobs that locals consider too dirty, dangerous or low-paying. Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 The pair are shown enjoying a quiet getaway in a small town during a road trip for their five-year anniversary — albeit, with the town's locals giving them odd looks — when a child knocks at their door, asking for a woman named Tamara. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 In Brownsville, locals say there’s more to the city than border politics. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024 Israel said its forces were targeting a Hezbollah site, but locals insisted during the funeral that this area is purely residential and everyone here is a civilian. Diego Ibarra Sánchez, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 Towns heavy on quaintness and charm but light on housing supply have squeezed out locals, both ordinary and essential purpose workers, from shop help to police, firefighters and teachers. Joseph Mysak Jr., Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024 Rather than take a long walk around, some locals clamber over the tracks and dash across four lanes of 65-mph traffic. USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024 Downtown Cancun While most tourists stick to the Hotel Zone, locals will tell you that Downtown Cancun is where the real treasures are unearthed. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'local.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English localle, from Late Latin localis, from Latin locus place — more at stall

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Noun

1591, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of local was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near local

Cite this Entry

“Local.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/local. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

local

1 of 2 adjective
lo·​cal ˈlō-kəl How to pronounce local (audio)
1
: of or relating to position in space
2
: relating to a particular place
local news
a local custom
3
: serving the needs of a certain district
local government
4
: involving or affecting only a small part of the body
a local infection
locally
-kə-lē
adverb

local

2 of 2 noun
1
: a public vehicle (as a bus or train) that makes all of the stops or most of the stops along its route
2
: a local branch (as of a lodge or labor union)

Medical Definition

local

1 of 2 adjective
lo·​cal ˈlō-kəl How to pronounce local (audio)
: involving or affecting only a restricted part of the organism
local inflammation
compare systemic sense a
locally adverb

local

2 of 2 noun

Legal Definition

local

noun
lo·​cal

More from Merriam-Webster on local

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