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Meaning & use

sector

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈsektə/
US/ˈsɛktər/

Meanings

  1. nouncountablebusiness

    One part of a country's economy or of an area of activity.

    Grammar: Often modified: the banking sector, the private sector.

    Patterns

    • the sector of something
    • in the private sector

    She works in the public sector as a nurse.

    The technology sector added thousands of jobs last year.

    Farming is still a major sector in the region.

  2. nouncountablemilitary

    An area into which a place is divided for control or guard.

    Grammar: Used with military and city planning.

    Patterns

    • in the northern sector

    Troops patrolled the northern sector of the city.

    Each guard was assigned a different sector.

    The plane left the sector controlled by the tower.

  3. nouncountablemathematics

    A slice of a circle between two lines from the center and the arc joining them.

    Grammar: A geometry term.

    Patterns

    • the sector of a circle

    The area of the sector depends on the angle.

    A pie chart is divided into sectors.

    He shaded the sector in blue.

Word forms

pluralsectors

Common combinations

private sector
Many graduates join the private sector.
public sector
Public sector wages rose by three percent.
banking sector
The banking sector faces new rules.
service sector
Most jobs are now in the service sector.
growth sector
Renewable energy is a growth sector.

Synonyms and how they differ

industry
Industry names a particular type of business, such as steel, while sector groups several of them.
segment
Segment is a general term for any part of a whole, with a less economic focus.
field
Field is more about an area of work or study, not an economic category.
zone
Zone points to a geographic or restricted area, not an economic one.

Word family

sectoral adjective
relating to a particular sector
intersectoral adjective
between sectors
dissect verb
to cut apart, from the same Latin root meaning to cut

Commonly confused: sector or section?

sector vs section

Section is any part of a whole, while sector is more specific to economy, military or geometry.

Practice

Which is an example of a public sector job?

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