zone

zone — noun

1. a part of a city, country, or other space marked off from surrounding areas beca

1.nounB1
Definition

a part of a city, country, or other space marked off from surrounding areas because it has a particular purpose, feature, or set of rules.

Example

The city council set up a new pedestrian <hw>zone</hw> around the old market square.

collocation: pedestrian zone

Lakshmi lives in a quiet residential <hw>zone</hw> on the north side of town.

collocation: residential zone

Common collocations
  • pedestrian zone
  • residential zone
  • green zone
  • disaster zone
  • school zone
  • danger zone
  • smoke-free zone
  • war zone
  • parking zone
  • buffer zone
Synonyms
  • area

    more general term; 'zone' adds the idea of a purpose or boundary

  • district

    often implies an administrative or political division, while 'zone' can be informal

  • sector

    used more for military or economic divisions; more technical than 'zone'

Grammar Patterns

zone + noun (parking zone, green zone)

adjective + zone (residential zone, disaster zone)

Usage Note

Often combined with a preceding noun that describes the zone's purpose or rule, such as 'parking zone', 'danger zone', 'smoke-free zone', or 'war zone'.

Common Mistakes

I live in a zone with many trees.
I live in a green area with many trees.
Use 'zone' only when a boundary or official purpose is implied, not for any general area.

2. one of the large bands around the earth that are divided by imaginary lines of l

2.nounB2
Definition

one of the large bands around the earth that are divided by imaginary lines of latitude and that share similar temperature and weather patterns.

Example

Most of Europe lies in the temperate climate <hw>zone</hw>, with mild summers and cool winters.

collocation: temperate climate zone / temperate zone

Ryo's research focuses on plant species that grow only in the tropical <hw>zone</hw> near the equator.

Common collocations
  • climate zone
  • temperate zone
  • tropical zone
  • polar zone
  • frigid zone
  • torrid zone
  • time zone
Synonyms
  • region

    broader term; 'climate zone' is more specific to latitude-based temperature bands

  • belt

    sometimes used for elongated areas (e.g. 'the Corn Belt'), but less common for climate

Grammar Patterns

the + adjective + zone (the temperate zone)

climate zone

time zone

Usage Note

The five classical climate zones are tropical (torrid), two temperate, and two polar (frigid). This sense is most common in geography and earth science contexts.

3. a defensive tactic in certain team sports where players guard a fixed section of

3.nounB2
Definition

a defensive tactic in certain team sports where players guard a fixed section of the court or field instead of marking an individual opponent.

Example

The coach switched the team to a <hw>zone</hw> defense after the opponents scored ten straight points.

collocation: zone defense

In <hw>zone</hw> coverage, each defender stays inside their own area instead of chasing one player.

collocation: zone coverage

Common collocations
  • zone defense
  • zone coverage
  • play zone
  • zone blocking
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • man-to-man defense

    the opposing defensive system where each player guards a specific opponent

Grammar Patterns

zone defense

zone coverage

play zone

in a zone

Usage Note

This sense is often used as part of the fixed phrases 'zone defense' or 'zone coverage'. It contrasts with 'man-to-man' defense, where each player marks a specific opponent.

Common Mistakes

The goalkeeper played zone.
The goalkeeper played in a zone defense system.
The word 'zone' alone is rarely used without 'defense' or 'coverage' for this sense.

4. a clearly defined area within a larger object, surface, or body, set apart by it

4.nounB2
Definition

a clearly defined area within a larger object, surface, or body, set apart by its own features or condition.

Example

The dentist examined a sensitive <hw>zone</hw> on the upper right side of Christopher's gum.

Amani circled the damaged <hw>zone</hw> on the wall where water had leaked through.

collocation: damaged zone

Common collocations
  • sensitive zone
  • damaged zone
  • pain zone
  • impact zone
  • growth zone
  • erogenous zone
Synonyms
  • area

    more general; 'zone' sounds more precise or technical

  • region

    slightly more formal, often used in anatomy (e.g. 'the lumbar region')

  • section

    focuses on the idea of a piece cut off; 'zone' focuses on a bounded area

Grammar Patterns

the ___ zone of + noun

adjective + zone (painful zone, damaged zone)

Usage Note

This sense is often used in medical, technical, or engineering contexts to refer to a specific spot on a larger object or body. It overlaps with 'area' but implies a more precisely defined boundary.

Common Mistakes

I have a painful zone on my arm.
I have a painful spot on my arm.
For informal everyday talk about the body, 'spot' or 'area' is more natural than 'zone'.
Idioms

in the zone

idiom

in a mental state where you are fully focused, confident, and able to perform an activity at your best level.

During the final match, Megan was completely <hw>in the zone</hw> and won every point without any trouble.

When Élise is writing a novel, she needs total quiet to stay <hw>in the zone</hw> and keep her ideas flowing.

a/the twilight world (of something) | the twilight zone

idiom

A situation or place where things are unclear, strange, or between two different states.

Maya felt she was in a twilight world between sleep and waking.

The abandoned factory became a twilight zone for local teenagers.

zone — verb

zone — adjective

Word family

  • zonal
    adjectiveC1
  • zoning
    nounB2
  • rezoning
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe a part of a larger space, but they differ in how the part is defined. 'Area' is the most general and neutral word — you can use it for any surface, room, or geographical space without needing a clear boundary. 'Region' tends to be larger and more formal, often used for natural or administrative divisions of a country (e.g. 'the coastal region'). 'District' is nearly always an official political or administrative division within a city or country (e.g. 'a school district' or 'the financial district'). 'Sector' often implies a subdivision of a larger system and is common in military, economic, or technical contexts (e.g. 'the private sector' or 'a military sector'). 'Zone' is the most specific of the five: it implies that a boundary has been drawn for a particular purpose or rule, such as a 'no-parking zone' or a 'pedestrian zone'. If you mean a loosely defined general space, choose 'area'; if you mean a space with clearly marked limits and a specific purpose, choose 'zone'.

area ↗region ↗district ↗sector ↗zone ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • zone boundary
  • zone limit
  • zone change
  • zone map
  • zone plan

Phrases

  • enter a zone
  • leave a zone
  • designate a zone
  • declare a zone
  • fall within a zone
  • divide into zones

Prepositions

  • in a zone
  • out of a zone
  • within a zone
  • between zones
  • across zones

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'zone' comes from Latin 'zōna', meaning a girdle or belt, which was borrowed from Greek 'zōnē' (ζώνη), also meaning a belt or girdle. The ancient Greeks used 'zōnē' to describe the bands of latitude encircling the earth — the idea of a belt wrapping around something. This geographical meaning was the word's original sense in English when it first appeared in the 15th century. Over time, 'zone' expanded from the earth's climate bands to any area marked off by boundaries for a particular purpose, and later into sports and anatomy senses.