local
gb/lˈoʊkəl/ us/lˈoʊkəl/
A2
English
~ 300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
Related to a specific area
About or from a small area, not the whole country.
Usage pattern:
[local] [business/service/news]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'local' with 'nearby', but 'local' often implies belonging to a community, not just physical closeness.
Synonyms
regional (Covers a larger area than 'local', such as several towns or counties.)
Antonyms
national (Relates to the whole country rather than a small part of it.)
Collocations
local community
|local business
|local news
|local government
|local area
Themes
geography
|daily life
|society
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The local newspaper reported on the town festival.
- We prefer to buy vegetables from local farmers.
- Local authorities are investigating the incident.
- Our local park is great for picnics.
- She supports local businesses whenever possible.
Learner examples
- I go to the local store every day.
- We eat at a local restaurant.
- This is the local school.
- Local people are friendly.
- I like local food.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Person from an area
Someone who lives in a place.
Usage pattern:
[a/the] local(s)
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'local people' instead of 'locals' in casual speech, which can sound less natural in short forms.
Synonyms
resident (More formal and used in official contexts.)
Antonyms
visitor (Someone who is temporarily in the place, not living there.)
Collocations
chat with locals
|meet the locals
|ask a local
|friendly locals
Themes
people
|geography
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The locals are proud of their traditions.
- We asked a local for directions.
- The locals welcomed us warmly.
- Tourists often enjoy talking to the locals.
- Locals know the best places to eat.
Learner examples
- I spoke to a local about the bus.
- The locals are kind.
- A local helped me find my hotel.
- The locals know this city well.
- I met some locals at the market.
adjective
technical
B1
property
3
Within a limited system or network
Working only in one small system or place, not across the whole network or world.
Usage pattern:
[local] [server/network/file]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'local' with 'offline', but 'local' refers to location in relation to the system, not necessarily internet access.
Synonyms
onsite (Specifically located at the place of use, often in IT contexts.)
Antonyms
remote (Located away from the main system or accessed over a distance.)
Collocations
local network
|local storage
|local server
Themes
technology
|computing
|communication
Examples
- The file is saved on the local drive.
- Local servers handle most of the data processing.
- You need to be connected to the local network to access that resource.
- Local storage is faster than cloud storage.
- This app only works on your local machine.
Learner examples
- The photo is on my local drive.
- We use a local server for work.
- The printer is on the local network.
- Save it to local storage.
- I can see it on my local computer.
Grammar
Dictionary form
local
IPA
GB/lˈoʊkəl/
US/lˈoʊkəl/
Syllables & stress
loc - al (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (loc)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: local
Noun
- Base: local
- Plural: locals
Word family
Expressions
local hero
1/lˈoʊkəl hˈɪɹoʊ/
fixed phrase
Admired person in community
A person admired in their town or area for something good they did.
Examples
- He became a local hero after saving the child from the fire.
- She is considered a local hero for her volunteer work.
shop local
1/ʃˈɑp lˈoʊkəl/
fixed phrase
Buy from nearby businesses
To buy things from stores near your home instead of from big or far-away companies.
Examples
- We try to shop local to support our community.
- The campaign encourages people to shop local this holiday season.
think global, act local
1/θˈɪŋk ɡlˈoʊbəl | ˈækt lˈoʊkəl/
fixed phrase
Consider world issues, act locally
To remember big world problems but do things in your own area to help solve them.
Examples
- Environmental groups often tell people to think global, act local.
- The charity works on the idea of think global, act local.