zoning, n.

zoning
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zoning_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1986; not fully revised

# zoningnoun

## Earlier version

- zoning, vbl. n. in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zoning mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun zoning. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

This word is used in U.S. English.

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### How common is the noun zoning?

About 2occurrences per million words in modern written English

1820 | 0.0006
1830 | 0.0006
1840 | 0.0019
1850 | 0.002
1860 | 0.0025
1870 | 0.0015
1880 | 0.0032
1890 | 0.0043
1900 | 0.015
1910 | 0.22
1920 | 0.47
1930 | 0.8
1940 | 1.1
1950 | 1.4
1960 | 2.0
1970 | 2.3
1980 | 2.2
1990 | 1.8
2000 | 1.6
2010 | 1.5

### How is the noun zoning pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzəʊnɪŋ/
ZOH-ning

#### U.S. English

/ˈzoʊnɪŋ/
ZOH-ning

#### West African English

/ˈzonin/

### Where does the noun zoning come from?

Earliest known use

1820s

The earliest known use of the noun zoning is in the 1820s.

OED's earliest evidence for zoning is from before 1821, in the writing of John Keats, poet.

zoning is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: zone v.

### Nearby entries

1. zone melting, n. 1952–
2. zone plate, n. 1890–
3. zoner, n. 1962–
4. zone-refine, v. 1962–
5. zone refiner, n. 1959–
6. zone refining, n. 1952–
7. zone therapy, n. 1915–
8. zone time, n. 1908–
9. Zonian, n. 1910–
10. zonic, adj. 1797–
11. zoning, n.a1821–
12. zonite, n. 1860–
13. zonitic, adj. 1888–
14. zonk, v. 1950–
15. zonk, int. 1949–
16. zonked, adj. 1959–
17. zonkey, n. 1953–
18. zonking, adj. 1958–
19. zonky, adj. 1972–
20. zono-, comb. form
21. zonochlorite, n. 1872–

## Etymology

### Summary

Formed within English, by derivation.
< zone v.

## Meaning & use

1. 1.
   a1821–
   Dividing into zones.
   1. a1821

      > Not so much air As in the zoning of a summer's day.

      J. Keats, Hyperion (new edition) 15 in Misc. Philobiblon Society (1856–7) vol. III
   2. 1888

      > What Mr. Lockyer has called the zoning of colour in the heavens.

      Nature 5 July 225
   3. 1904

      > The zoning of the strata.

      Edinburgh Review January 220
   4. 1942

      > Further steps, including the zoning of the distribution of manufactured goods..are being investigated by the Ministry.

      Times 5 June 2/3
   5. 1945

      > In the zoning of Germany the United States Navy has been allotted the ports of Bremen and Bremerhaven.

      Daily Telegraph 17 May 5/7
   6. 1946

      > The transport of food from production or import points to wholesalers' stores was effected by ‘zoning’ schemes... The country was divided into..zones, and movement between different zones..was allowed only by permit.

      How Britain was fed in War Time (H.M.S.O.) iii. 22
   7. 1968

      > After the First World War... A new zoning law regulated the height of buildings in relation to the width of the streets.

      New York City (Michelin) 16
   1. zoning a1821–
      Dividing into zones.
   2. sectorization 1962–
      Division into sectors; administration or operation on the basis of sectors or local divisions.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. zoning 1888–
      Dividing into zones.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. zoning 1942–
      Dividing into zones.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
2. 2.
   1912–
   (Town-)Planning. The regulation of land use by particular planning restrictions in designated areas. Originally U.S.
   1. 1912

      > In view of..existing indirect zoning laws, why not add some of the building laws in force in Frankfurt-on-the-Main?

      Proceedings 4th Nat. Conference City Planning 190
   2. 1914

      > The well-established principle of zoning that has been in operation for a generation or more in that country [sc. Germany].

      Proceedings 6th Nat. Conference City Planning 92
   3. 1921

      > ‘Zoning’ means the locating of industries in the areas which are best suited for them and the reserving for housing of districts best adapted for this purpose.

      Glasgow Herald 25 March 8/3
   4. 1940

      > The Town-Planning Act of 1932 perpetuated this cleavage... Now there was ‘zoning’..segregating families according to their incomes.

      R. Graves & A. Hodge, Long Week-end xi. 175
   5. 1943

      > Some States have introduced compulsory ‘agricultural zoning’ by which certain types of farming are prohibited in certain areas.

      J. S. Huxley, TVA 31
   6. 1966

      > The zoning game: municipal practices and policies.

      R. F. Babcock (title)
   7. 1978

      > Crossing over to the rivers south of Annapolis,..Chris had a chance to see how lack of zoning and policing had encouraged this shoreline to become a marine slum.

      J. A. Michener, Chesapeake xiii. 830
   U.S. English
   1. zoning 1912–
      (Town-)Planning. The regulation of land use by particular planning restrictions in designated areas. Originally U.S.
   2. rezoning 1918–
   3. spot zoning 1927–
      The redesignation of a small area for a particular use or development as the result of special consideration; see zoning, n. 2.
   4. remap 1930–
      The act or result of dividing or organizing an area into new (political) districts or divisions. Frequently attributive.
   5. downzoning 1961–
   View in Historical Thesaurus

### Additional sense (2019)

1. 1977–
   Nigerian English. The system or practice of allocating nominations for certain political offices to candidates from particular regions, as part of an unofficial power-sharing arrangement within a political party, intended to produce balanced regional representation.
   [With this sense compare later zone v. Additions.]
   1. 1977

      > On the question of zoning in the presidential election, the country is divided into two major zones, A and B i. e. the north and the south.

      Great Deb. vi. 334
   2. 2019

      > The variable that will play a dominant role in the governorship election is zoning.

      Sun (Nigeria) (Nexis) 5 February
   politics Nigerian English

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzəʊnɪŋ/
ZOH-ning

### U.S. English

/ˈzoʊnɪŋ/
ZOH-ning

### West African English

/ˈzonin/

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea, thaw
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye, thee
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

/ɡb/ is often treated as a single sound, a simultaneous ‘double articulation’ of the two stop sounds.

Unlike in many other varieties of English, consonants cannot take on the function of vowels in West African English (there are no ‘syllabic consonants’).

##### Vowels

- ikit, fleece, happy
- eface
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath, palm, start, perch, letter
- ɔlot, cloth, thought, north, force, strut, work, cure
- ufoot, goose
- ogoat
- aipride
- aumouth
- ɔivoice
- ianear
- easquare
- uacure

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Frequency

zoning typically occurs about twice per million words in modern written English.

zoning is in frequency band 5, which contains words occurring between 1 and 10 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zoning, n., 1820–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1820 | 0.0006
1830 | 0.0006
1840 | 0.0019
1850 | 0.002
1860 | 0.0025
1870 | 0.0015
1880 | 0.0032
1890 | 0.0043
1900 | 0.015
1910 | 0.22
1920 | 0.47
1930 | 0.8
1940 | 1.1
1950 | 1.4
1960 | 2.0
1970 | 2.3
1980 | 2.2
1990 | 1.8
2000 | 1.6
2010 | 1.5

### Frequency of zoning, n., 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 1.5
2018 | 1.5
2019 | 1.5
2020 | 1.6
2021 | 1.7
2022 | 1.7
2023 | 1.7
2024 | 1.6

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. spot zoning, n. 1927–
   The redesignation of a small area for a…

zoning, n. was first published in 1986; not fully revised.

zoning, n. was last modified in June 2024.