# regional

/ˈɹidʒənəɫ/ (US) · /ɹˈiːdʒənəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/regional
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. local area

adjective · CEFR B2

relating to a particular area or part of a country.

For teachers: pertaining to a specific geographic region or administrative district within a larger territory.

- The regional bus service only runs between the small towns in this valley.
- The government has proposed a new regional development plan to address the economic disparities between the northern provinces and the capital city.

### 2. non-metropolitan

adjective · CEFR B2 · American English · British English

describing areas that are not in the big main cities but have many people and towns.

For teachers: denoting areas outside of major metropolitan centres that are nonetheless populated and contain significant townships.

- Many regional hospitals struggle to attract specialist doctors from the big cities.
- The airline operates several short-haul flights connecting regional hubs to the primary international airport.

### 3. part of the body

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

relating to one specific part of the body.

For teachers: pertaining to a particular segment or area of the body rather than the whole system.

- The patient was given a regional anaesthetic so they wouldn't feel pain in their leg.
- Regional anatomy focuses on the organization of specific body parts, such as the head or thorax, and how different systems interact within those boundaries.

### 4. local event or entity

noun · CEFR B2

a competition or meeting that only involves people from one specific area.

For teachers: an entity, administrative office, or competitive event whose scope is limited to a single geographic region.

- The team won the regionals and will now compete in the national championship.
- After several successful years managing the local branch, she was promoted to the regional to oversee operations across the entire southwest.

## Examples

- The restaurant serves delicious regional food.
- The company decided to close its national headquarters and move operations to several smaller regional offices.
- Linguists have noted that while some regional dialects are merging due to mass media, others remain distinct as markers of local identity and pride.

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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.