District
'dɪstrɪkt
Definitions
2 meaningsA territorial division, often for administrative, electoral, or operational purposes.
'dɪstrɪkt
A defined area, often for administrative or electoral purposes.
The city is divided into five different districts.
💡 Simply: Imagine your town is like a pizza, and a district is one slice. It's a specific part of a larger area that has its own rules or purpose. For example, the school district covers all the schools in that particular section of town.
👶 For kids: A district is like a special part of a town or city. It might be where the schools are, or where people vote.
More Examples
She works in the financial district.
The fire department is responsible for responding to emergencies within their assigned district.
How It's Used
"The new electoral districts were redrawn to reflect population shifts."
"The city is divided into several residential districts."
"The school district is responsible for overseeing all the public schools in the area."
To divide a territory into districts.
'dɪstrɪkt
To divide (a territory) into districts.
The state legislature is planning to district the new land.
💡 Simply: To split something up, like a city or state, into different sections or districts. The goal might be to create a fairer system, like when a city is 'districted' for voting purposes.
👶 For kids: To split up a big place, like a town, into smaller parts, each with its own name or purpose.
More Examples
They redistricted the area.
The government will district the new settlements.
How It's Used
"The state legislature decided to district the county to create fairer representation."
From Middle English 'distrikte', from Old French 'district' meaning 'region, jurisdiction', and ultimately from Latin 'districtus', past participle of 'distringere' meaning 'to constrain, restrain, or limit'.
The word 'district' has been used since the 14th century to denote a defined area or region.
Memory tip
Think of a 'strict' boundary; a district is a strictly defined area.
Word Origin
"to constrain, restrain, or limit"