locale

noun

lo·​cale lō-ˈkal How to pronounce locale (audio)
Synonyms of locale
1
: a place or locality especially when viewed in relation to a particular event or characteristic
chose a tropical island as the locale for their wedding
2
: site, scene
the locale of a story

Synonyms of locale

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of locale in a Sentence

They chose a tropical island as the locale for their wedding. the locale of the story
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ancient myths and modern cinema depict bogs as sinister locales, dangerous to cross, and fatal to get trapped in. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 Mansi also wants the El Gouna Film Festival to reach audiences who may never make it to its Red Sea locale. — Essie Assibu, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 After all, the state just went through a high-stakes game of chicken with David Ellison, who threatened to move Paramount to locales like Tennessee or Texas if California kept pursuing him in court over his successful bid to acquire Warner Bros. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 Many clients are tempted to move to a low-tax locale like Florida or Texas before a big exit. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for locale

Word History

Etymology

modification of French local, from local, adjective

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of locale was in 1761

Rhymes for locale

See All Rhymes for locale

Browse Nearby Words

local colorist
locale
local freight
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Locale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/locale. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

locale

noun
lo·​cale lō-ˈkal How to pronounce locale (audio)
: a place where something happens or is supposed to happen
the locale of the accident
the locale of a play
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All