Definition

Noun: 1. A defined geographical area within a city or town, often established for administrative or policing purposes. This is the most common meaning, referring to a specific zone used to organize services like law enforcement or voting. 2. (Often plural: precincts) The grounds or property immediately surrounding a building, especially a religious or official one. This usage refers to the enclosed land or area belonging to a particular institution. 3. (Formal) A boundary or an enclosed space. This is a more general and formal use, referring to a defined limit or area.

Usage Examples

• Administrative District:
  • The suspect was arrested in the 12th police precinct.
  • You must vote at the polling station in your designated election precinct.
• Surrounding Grounds:
  • Smoking is not permitted within the precincts of the hospital.
  • The ancient temple and its sacred precincts were closed to the public.
• Boundary or Enclosed Space (Formal):
  • The discussion remained within the precincts of academic theory. (Here it means 'confines' or 'bounds'.)

Advanced Usage

• "Shopping precinct": (Chiefly British English) A pedestrianized area in a town center with many shops.
  • Let's meet in the main shopping precinct.
• "Within the hallowed precincts of...": A formal or literary phrase used to emphasize the respected or sacred nature of a place like a university, court, or church.
  • He spent his career within the hallowed precincts of the university.

Variants and Related Words

• Precincts (plural noun): Commonly used for the grounds of a building or, figuratively, for the boundaries of a subject.
• Precinct House (noun, U.S.): The police station for a specific precinct.

Synonyms

• District: A defined area within a region.
• Zone: An area with a particular characteristic or purpose.
• Sector: A distinct part or division.
• Ward: An administrative division of a city or borough.
• Enclosure: A bounded area.
• Confines (plural): The limits or boundaries of something.

Related Phrases

• Police precinct: The specific district and station for a police department's operations.
• Voting/Election precinct: The smallest electoral district for administering elections.
• Pedestrian precinct: An area reserved for pedestrians, often a shopping area.

Noun

1. a district of a city or town marked out for administrative purposes