—adj.
1 belonging to or existing in a particular place or places.
2 peculiar to or only encountered in a particular place or places.
3 of or belonging to the neighbourhood (the local doctor).
4 of or affecting a part and not the whole, esp. of the body (local pain; a local anaesthetic).
5 in regard to place.
—n. a local person or thing, esp.:
1 an inhabitant of a particular place regarded with reference to that place.
2 a local train, bus, etc.
3 (often prec. by the) Brit. colloq. a local public house.
4 a local anaesthetic.
5 US a local branch of a trade union.
Phrases and idioms:
local authority Brit. an administrative body in local government. local Derby see DERBY. local government a system of administration of a county, district, parish, etc., by the elected representatives of those who live there. local option (or veto) esp. US a system whereby the inhabitants of a district may prohibit the sale of alcoholic liquor there. local preacher a Methodist lay person authorized to conduct services in a particular circuit. local time
1 time measured from the sun's transit over the meridian of a place.
2 the time as reckoned in a particular place, esp. with reference to an event recorded there. local train a train stopping at all the stations on its route.
Derivatives:
locally adv. localness n.
Etymology: ME f. OF f. LL localis f. L locus place
Useful english dictionary. 2012.