noun
precinct
PREE-sihngkt
noun
1
A defined area or district, often one with a specific administrative or official purpose.
"The pedestrian precinct downtown is closed to traffic on weekends."
"She voted at her local precinct just around the corner."
2
(US) A local police station, or the district it covers.
"He was taken to the 12th precinct for questioning."
How to Use Precinct
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA marked-off area or district — could be a shopping zone, a voting district, or a police patrol area, depending on context.
UK vs US
In the UK, a "precinct" is usually a pedestrian shopping area; in American English, it more often means a police or voting district.
Common pairings
shopping precinct
police precinct
voting precinct
Word Forms
precincts plural
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The pedestrian _____ downtown is closed to traffic on weekends.
Etymology
From Medieval Latin precinctum, \"an enclosure or boundary,\" ultimately from Latin praecingere, \"to surround or gird\" — the same root that gives us \"cinch.\"