# precinct

/ˈpɹiˌsɪŋk/ (US) · /pɹˈiːsɪŋkt/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. police district

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a specific area of a city that a particular police station is responsible for.

For teachers: a subdivision of a city under the jurisdiction of a specific police force; also refers to the station house itself.

- The officers spent the whole afternoon patrolling the busy streets of the 15th precinct.
- Detectives from the neighboring precinct were called in to assist with the investigation due to their expertise in local gang activity.

Usage: Often used with a number to identify a specific station or area.

### 2. shopping area

noun · CEFR B2 · British English

a part of a town where cars are not allowed and people go to shop.

For teachers: a pedestrianised urban area, typically containing a concentration of retail outlets.

- The city center has a large shopping precinct with plenty of benches and fountains.
- The local council's redevelopment plan involves transforming the derelict market square into a modern, glass-roofed shopping precinct.

### 3. voting district

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Formal

the smallest area used for organizing elections and voting.

For teachers: the smallest electoral subdivision of a city or county, used for the administration of voting and representation.

- You must go to the correct polling place for your precinct to cast your vote.
- The redistricting committee faced criticism for redrawing precinct boundaries in a way that appeared to favor the incumbent candidate.

### 4. enclosed area

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the space inside the walls or boundaries of a specific place, like a cathedral.

For teachers: the space within the defined limits or walls of a particular building or place, often of a religious or official nature.

- Visitors are asked to remain quiet while walking within the cathedral precincts.
- The university's historic precinct is protected by strict heritage laws that prevent any modern structural modifications to the original stone walls.

## Examples

- The police station is located in the fourth precinct.
- The city council decided to turn the historic downtown area into a pedestrian precinct to encourage tourism.
- While the inner precinct of the cathedral remains a quiet sanctuary, the surrounding streets have become a bustling hub of modern commerce and traffic.

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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.