location

location — noun

1. any specific point or area where something can be found, exists, or is intended

1.nounB1
Definition

any specific point or area where something can be found, exists, or is intended to be

Example

The new restaurant chose a location near the station to attract more customers.

choose + location (decision about where to be)

In a quiet location near the park, Chiara found her dream apartment.

Common collocations
  • choose a location
  • change location
  • move to a new location
  • prime location
  • convenient location
Synonyms
  • place

    the most general and neutral word, preferred in everyday speech

  • spot

    suggests a smaller, more specific area; often informal

  • site

    refers to a place used for a particular purpose or event

  • position

    focuses on where something is in relation to its surroundings

Grammar Patterns

location of something

a + adjective + location

Usage Note

More formal than place. In everyday conversation, place is the more natural choice; location is better suited for written or technical contexts.

Common Mistakes

Could you share your location with me?' (asking a friend for their address casually).
Where do you live?' or 'Can you tell me where you are?
'Location' sounds overly formal or technical in casual conversation; simpler questions are more natural.

2. a real-world setting used for recording movie or TV scenes, instead of a studio'

2.nounB2
Definition

a real-world setting used for recording movie or TV scenes, instead of a studio's indoor facilities

Example

The desert battle scene was filmed on location in southern Morocco.

the fixed phrase 'on location'

The director chose a real castle as the location for the final wedding scene.

Common collocations
  • on location
  • film on location
  • shoot on location
  • location manager
  • location scout
  • location shoot
Synonyms
  • set

    can refer to a location built inside a studio, not just a real-world place

  • site

    more general; does not specifically refer to film production

  • setting

    the fictional or imagined time and place of a story, not the filming place

Grammar Patterns

on location

a location for + noun phrase

Usage Note

On location is a fixed phrase used in film and television production. It always uses the preposition on, never at or in. The noun compound filming location is common in the industry.

Common Mistakes

They shot the scene at location near the river.
They shot the scene on location near the river.
The fixed phrase is always on location, not at location.

3. the process of finding out exactly where someone or something is

3.nounB2
Definition

the process of finding out exactly where someone or something is

Example

The location of the lost ship took several weeks using sonar equipment.

the location of [lost object] = the act of finding it

With GPS technology, the location of stolen phones became much faster.

Common collocations
  • the location of
  • for the location of
  • GPS location
  • location tracking
  • location service
Synonyms
  • finding

    the simpler, everyday word for the same idea

  • detection

    more technical, often used in science or security

  • tracking

    suggests following someone or something over time

Antonyms
  • loss

    the state of not knowing where something is

Grammar Patterns

the location of something

for the location of something

Usage Note

This sense is uncountable and typically appears in the structure the location of + something. It is common in formal, professional, or technical contexts such as police investigations, engineering, and navigation. The verb locate is much more common in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

The location of the keys took only a minute.' (too informal for this sense).
Finding the keys took only a minute.
For everyday situations, use the verb find or locate instead of the noun location.

4. in baseball, the degree of accuracy with which a pitcher places each pitch withi

4.nounC1
Definition

in baseball, the degree of accuracy with which a pitcher places each pitch within the strike zone according to their aim

Example

The pitcher's location was off today, so he walked several batters.

location was off (inaccurate pitching)

For most baseball pitchers, good location is more important than speed.

Common collocations
  • good location
  • location was off
  • pitch location
  • improve one's location
  • location on every pitch
Synonyms
  • control

    more common term for a pitcher's ability to aim; interchangeable with location

  • command

    a more advanced term suggesting precision and consistency

Antonyms
  • wildness

    when a pitcher cannot control where the ball goes

Usage Note

This sense is only used in baseball. The term refers specifically to how accurately a pitcher throws, not to the act of throwing itself. A pitcher's location can be described as good (accurate), off (inaccurate), or excellent (highly precise).

Common Mistakes

The player's location was strong in today's game.' (vague).
The pitcher's location was strong in today's game.
Specify pitcher; location in this sense applies only to pitching, not to other baseball positions.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Place is the most general and common word for any point in space — it works in almost every context, from everyday conversation ('Let's find a place to eat') to formal writing. Spot suggests a smaller, more specific area and feels informal ('a good spot for a picnic'). Site typically refers to a place with a particular function or purpose, such as a construction site, a campsite, or a historic site. Position focuses on where something is in relation to its surroundings, often in a technical or literal sense ('the position of the table in the room'). Location sits between place and position in formality — it is more specific than place and is common in written or technical language ('the exact location of the crash'). When speaking casually, place is almost always the best choice. For example, 'What's your location?' sounds like a GPS query, while 'Where are you?' sounds natural in conversation.

place ↗spot ↗site ↗position ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • prime location
  • ideal location
  • perfect location
  • exact location
  • current location
  • convenient location
  • central location

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Location comes from the Latin word locus, meaning 'place'. From locus came the verb locare, meaning 'to place or put something', and then the noun locatio, meaning 'the act of placing' or 'a leasing'. This passed into Middle French as location and entered English in the late 1500s, first with the meaning 'the act of placing'. By the mid-1600s, it had developed its modern sense of 'a place where something is'. The film-industry meaning (a site outside a studio) appeared in the early 1900s.