area

/ˈɛriə/

Reviewed on

Type

Noun

Meaning

  1. A part of a city, town, country, or the world.

    • We live in a quiet area with lots of trees.

  2. A space or part of a building or place used for a particular purpose.

    • Please wait in the waiting area until your name is called.

  3. A subject or type of activity.

    • Her main area of interest is marine biology.

  4. The size of a flat surface, measured by multiplying the length by the width.

    • The area of the room is 200 square feet.

How it's used

When this means “nearby; in the part of a city or region being talked about”

  • in the area

Are there any good restaurants in the area?

When this means “the city and the places around the city”

  • the + place + area

They moved to the Denver area last year.

When this means “names a subject or field”

  • area of + noun

This is not my area of expertise.

Collocations

  • local area
  • rural area
  • urban area
  • parking area
  • play area
  • dining area
  • key area
  • surface area
  • total area

Synonyms

  • region
  • neighborhood
  • district
  • space
  • zone
  • field
  • subject
  • size

Idioms

  • gray area

    a situation or subject where the rules or right answer are not clear

    Using a work phone for personal calls is a gray area.