noun
Very common
parts
pahts
Parts (noun) means a region or area. Example: “He's not from these parts.”
noun
1
A region or area.
"He's not from these parts."
"Do you live in these parts, or are you just visiting?"
"In some parts of the country, it rains almost every day."
2
Natural ability or talent.
"She showed her parts as a debater from a young age."
"The young pianist was a boy of many parts and great promise."
"He was a man of parts who could write, paint and play music."
How to use parts
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsed loosely to mean "an area" (as in "these parts") or, in older usage, someone's natural talents.
Common pairings
these parts
foreign parts
a man of many parts
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Rhymes for parts
See all rhymes for parts →Frequently asked questions
What does “parts” mean?
The word “parts” means a region or area. In plain terms, used loosely to mean "an area" (as in "these parts") or, in older usage, someone's natural talents.
How do you pronounce “parts”?
“Parts” is pronounced pahts (/pɑːts/ in IPA).
How do you use “parts” in a sentence?
Here is “parts” used in a sentence: “He's not from these parts.”
What part of speech is “parts”?
“Parts” is a noun.
Is “parts” a common word?
“Parts” is a very common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “parts” have?
“Parts” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a region or area.
What does 'these parts' mean?
In this sense, 'parts' means a region or area, so 'these parts' simply means around here, this locality. The phrase 'you're not from around these parts' means you are not local. It gives a slightly old-fashioned, rural flavour and is almost always used in the plural.
Is 'parts' meaning a region formal or informal?
It is informal and a little old-fashioned, carrying a folksy, storytelling tone often associated with rural or frontier speech. In everyday or formal writing you would more likely use 'area', 'region', or 'district'. 'Foreign parts', meaning distant lands, is a similar slightly dated usage.
What is the difference between 'parts' as a region and 'parts' as pieces?
They are two separate meanings of the same word. As pieces, parts are the components something is made of, like car parts. As a region, 'parts' means an area or district, as in 'these parts'. Context makes the sense clear, since the region meaning almost always appears in set phrases.
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