local

[ loh-kuhl ]
See synonyms for local on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. pertaining to or characterized by place or position in space; spatial.

  2. pertaining to, characteristic of, or restricted to a particular place or particular places: a local custom.

  1. pertaining to a city, town, or small district rather than an entire state or country: local transportation.

  2. stopping at most or all stations: a local train.

  3. pertaining to or affecting a particular part or particular parts, as of a physical system or organism: a local disease.

  4. Medicine/Medical. (of anesthesia or an anesthetic) affecting only a particular part or area of the body, without concomitant loss of consciousness, as distinguished from general anesthesia.

noun
  1. a local train, bus, etc.

  2. a newspaper item of local interest.

  1. a local branch of a union, fraternity, etc.

  2. a local anesthetic.

  3. Often locals.

    • a local person or resident: primarily of interest to locals.

    • a local athletic team: the locals versus the state champions.

  4. British Informal. a neighborhood pub.

verb (used without object)
  1. Informal. to travel by or take a local train or the like.

Origin of local

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English word from Late Latin word locālis.See locus, -al1

Other words from local

  • lo·cal·ness, noun
  • in·ter·lo·cal, adjective
  • in·ter·lo·cal·ly, adverb
  • non·lo·cal, adjective, noun
  • non·lo·cal·ly, adverb
  • su·per·lo·cal, adjective
  • su·per·lo·cal·ly, adverb
  • un·lo·cal, adjective
  • un·lo·cal·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with local

Other definitions for lo-cal (2 of 2)

lo-cal
[ loh-kal, -kal ]

adjective
  1. an informal, simplified spelling of low-cal.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for local

local

/ (ˈləʊkəl) /


adjective
  1. characteristic of or associated with a particular locality or area

  2. of, concerned with, or relating to a particular place or point in space

  1. med of, affecting, or confined to a limited area or part: Compare general (def. 10), systemic (def. 2)

  2. (of a train, bus, etc) stopping at all stations or stops

noun
  1. a train, bus, etc, that stops at all stations or stops

  2. an inhabitant of a specified locality

  1. British informal a pub close to one's home or place of work

  2. med short for local anaesthetic

  3. US and Canadian an item of local interest in a newspaper

  4. US and Canadian a local or regional branch of an association

  5. Canadian a telephone extension

Origin of local

1
C15: via Old French from Late Latin locālis, from Latin locus place, locus

Derived forms of local

  • localness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012