# locality

/ɫoʊˈkæɫəti/ (US) · /ləʊkˈælɪti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/locality
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a specific area or neighborhood

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

a particular area, district, or neighborhood where people live or work.

For teachers: a specific geographic area or district, often considered in terms of its social or physical characteristics.

- The police are searching for the suspect in the immediate locality.
- The value of the property is largely determined by the amenities available within the immediate locality, such as schools and public transport.

### 2. position or site

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

the specific place where something is located.

For teachers: the state or quality of having a position in space, or the specific site of an object or event.

- The exact locality of the ancient ruins was kept secret to prevent looting.
- Researchers mapped the locality of each rare plant species to better understand the microclimates of the valley.

### 3. computing/physics

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the tendency of things to happen or stay near each other.

For teachers: the principle that a process or object only interacts with its immediate surroundings, or the tendency of a processor to access the same memory locations repeatedly.

- The software runs faster because it takes advantage of data locality.
- Optimizing for locality of reference ensures that the CPU can retrieve data from the cache rather than slower main memory.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'locality of reference' in computer science.

## Examples

- The police are searching for the suspect in the local locality.
- The rare orchid is only found in this specific locality due to the unique soil conditions and high humidity.
- While the general region is known for its industrial output, this specific locality has maintained its agricultural heritage through strict zoning laws and community initiatives.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.