sector

1 of 2

noun

sec·​tor ˈsek-tər How to pronounce sector (audio)
-ˌtȯr
1
a
: a geometric figure bounded by two radii and the included arc of a circle
b(1)
: a subdivision of a defensive military position
(2)
: a portion of a military front or area of operation
c
: an area or portion resembling a sector
bilingual sector of townDavid Kleinberg
d
: a sociological, economic, or political subdivision of society
cooperation between the public and private sectorsPeter Chapman
2
: a mathematical instrument consisting of two rulers connected at one end by a joint and marked with several scales
3
: a subdivision of a track on a computer disk
sectoral
ˈsek-t(ə-)rəl
adjective

sector

2 of 2

verb

sec·​tor ˈsek-tər How to pronounce sector (audio)
sectored; sectoring ˈsek-t(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce sector (audio)

transitive verb

: to divide into or furnish with sectors

Examples of sector in a Sentence

Noun He was assigned to the northern sector. Data is stored on the disk in 512-byte sectors.
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.
Noun
During the hearing, Rep. Gina Hinojosa voiced a concern shared by many of us in the education sector. Quintin Shepherd, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024 In fact, consistently beating the S&P 500 — in good times and bad — has been difficult over recent years for individual stocks; for heavyweights in the Health Care sector including CVS, UNH, and PFE, and even for the megacap stars GOOG, TSLA, and MSFT. Trefis Team, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
Key Banc downgrades Sherwin-Williams to sector weight from overweight KeyBanc downgraded the painting company on valuation. Michael Bloom, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2024 KeyBanc downgraded Bumble to sector weight from overweight, citing weak app store data and risks into the new year. Alex Harring, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sector 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Late Latin, from Latin, cutter, from secare to cut — more at saw

First Known Use

Noun

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sector was in 1570

Dictionary Entries Near sector

Cite this Entry

“Sector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sector. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

sector

noun
sec·​tor
ˈsek-tər,
-ˌtȯ(ə)r
1
a
: the part of a circle included between two radii
b
: an area assigned to a military commander to defend
2
: a part of society
the public sector
the industrial sector
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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