often attributive
1
a(1)
: a series of things in a line : row
(2)
: a series of mountains
(3)
: one of the north-south rows of townships in a U.S. public-land survey that are numbered east and west from the principal meridian of the survey
b
: an aggregate of individuals in one order
c
: a direction line
2
: a cooking stove that has an oven and a flat top with burners or heating elements
3
a
: a place that may be ranged over
b
: an open region over which animals (such as livestock) may roam and feed
c
: the region throughout which a kind of organism or ecological community naturally lives or occurs
4
: the act of ranging about
5
a(1)
: the horizontal distance to which a projectile can be propelled
(2)
: the horizontal distance between a weapon and target
b
: the maximum distance a vehicle or craft can travel without refueling
c(1)
: a place where shooting is practiced
(2)
6
a
: the space or extent included, covered, or used : scope
b
: the extent of pitch covered by a melody or lying within the capacity of a voice or instrument
7
a
: a sequence, series, or scale between limits
a wide range of patterns
b
: the limits of a series : the distance or extent between possible extremes
c
: the difference between the least and greatest values of an attribute or of the variable of a frequency distribution
8
a
: the set of values a function may take on
b
: the class of admissible values of a variable
9
ranged; ranging
1
a
: to set in a row or in the proper order
b
: to place among others in a position or situation
c
: to assign to a category : classify
2
a
: to rove over or through
b
: to sail or pass along
3
: to arrange (an anchor cable) on deck
4
: to graze (livestock) on a range
1
a
: to roam at large or freely
b
: to move over an area so as to explore it
2
: to take a position
3
a
: to correspond in direction or line : align
b
: to extend in a particular direction
4
: to have range
5
: to change or differ within limits
6
of an organism
: to live or occur in or be native to a region
Synonyms
Examples of range in a Sentence
Noun
knew exactly how many head of cattle were turned out on the range that morning to graze
didn't know she had such a wide range of knowledge until I talked to her
Verb
The selection of food ranged from mild to very spicy.
Items on the menu range from American fare like hamburgers and hot dogs to Italian pasta dishes.
Grizzly bears range over a much smaller area than they once did.
The plant once ranged across the island.
Recent Examples on the Web
Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Apr. 2024
Tesla has been trimming the cost of its range for months, Lucid followed suit and Fisker is even offering its electric SUV for less than $25,000.
—Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024
Current city New Paltz, NY — a college town full of hippies nestled at the base of a mountain range, 70 miles north of Manhattan.
—Liza Lentini, SPIN, 12 Apr. 2024
Earl Tupper, the product’s namesake, was a serial inventor who used mid-century advances in plastics technology to develop the first range of airtight food containers affordable for middle-class households.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
The Kings are locked into the play-in tournament with a range of possibilities from No. 7 to No. 10.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
To get started, look at some of Amazon's most popular exterior lighting picks, which offer a range of brightness levels, styles, sizes, and more.
—Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2024
Chiang Mai, with its cultural festivals and beautiful temples, is a hit among those seeking a cultural immersion, while Bangkok’s shopping, cuisine, and nightlife appeal to a wide range of travelers.
—Tyler Shepherd, Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2024
On online discussion boards, users report a wide range of experiences with data annotation work.
—Will Henshall, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2024
Amazon's fashion department is overflowing with options ranging from tunic dresses to blouses.
—Michelle Rostamian, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
It often is used against gangs, ranging from the Mexican Mafia to South L.A.’s Crips.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
The adult victims range in age from 19 years old to 40 years old, and all were taken to area hospitals by the Chicago Fire Department.
—Elizabeth Pritchett, Fox News, 14 Apr. 2024
Five numbers will be white balls ranging from numbers 1 to 69.
—USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Other Sacramento-area eateries had health code violations ranging from dust, grease and food residue to moldy soda nozzles and yellow slime in an ice machine, according to inspection reports.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
Bellview Winery has weekly events that range from wine and macaron pairings and a drag quiz to a popular annual seafood festival.
—Patrice J. Williams, Essence, 3 Apr. 2024
Courses range from half a day to a full week in duration, and can include classroom time, skid-pad training, and road-circuit driving.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
Noun
The perching bird has slowly been expanding its range north.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Apr. 2024
Tesla has been trimming the cost of its range for months, Lucid followed suit and Fisker is even offering its electric SUV for less than $25,000.
—Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024
Current city New Paltz, NY — a college town full of hippies nestled at the base of a mountain range, 70 miles north of Manhattan.
—Liza Lentini, SPIN, 12 Apr. 2024
Earl Tupper, the product’s namesake, was a serial inventor who used mid-century advances in plastics technology to develop the first range of airtight food containers affordable for middle-class households.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
The Kings are locked into the play-in tournament with a range of possibilities from No. 7 to No. 10.
—Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
To get started, look at some of Amazon's most popular exterior lighting picks, which offer a range of brightness levels, styles, sizes, and more.
—Wendy Vazquez, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Apr. 2024
Chiang Mai, with its cultural festivals and beautiful temples, is a hit among those seeking a cultural immersion, while Bangkok’s shopping, cuisine, and nightlife appeal to a wide range of travelers.
—Tyler Shepherd, Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2024
On online discussion boards, users report a wide range of experiences with data annotation work.
—Will Henshall, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024
Verb
The properties range from $4.5 million to $12 million, and Panther National offers both signature semi-custom residences and a fully custom line that allows buyers the opportunity to design and build their own home.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2024
Amazon's fashion department is overflowing with options ranging from tunic dresses to blouses.
—Michelle Rostamian, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
It often is used against gangs, ranging from the Mexican Mafia to South L.A.’s Crips.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
The adult victims range in age from 19 years old to 40 years old, and all were taken to area hospitals by the Chicago Fire Department.
—Elizabeth Pritchett, Fox News, 14 Apr. 2024
Five numbers will be white balls ranging from numbers 1 to 69.
—USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2024
Other Sacramento-area eateries had health code violations ranging from dust, grease and food residue to moldy soda nozzles and yellow slime in an ice machine, according to inspection reports.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 12 Apr. 2024
Bellview Winery has weekly events that range from wine and macaron pairings and a drag quiz to a popular annual seafood festival.
—Patrice J. Williams, Essence, 3 Apr. 2024
Courses range from half a day to a full week in duration, and can include classroom time, skid-pad training, and road-circuit driving.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'range.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near range
Cite this Entry
“Range.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/range. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
range
1 of 2 noun1
: a series of things in a line
a range of mountains
2
: a cooking stove
3
a
: open land over which livestock may roam and feed
b
: the place where a certain kind of animal or plant naturally lives
4
: the act of ranging about
5
a
: the maximum distance a weapon can shoot, a missile can travel, or a vehicle can go without refueling
b
: the distance between a weapon and its target
c
: a place where shooting is practiced
a rifle range
6
a
: the distance or amount included or gone over : scope
the range of one's knowledge
b
: the extent of pitch covered by a voice or instrument or a melody
7
a
: a sequence, series, or scale between limits
out of our price range
a wide range of colors
b
: the difference between the least and greatest of a set of values
range
2 of 2 verb
ranged; ranging
1
a
: to set in a row or in proper order
b
: to set in place among others of the same kind
2
: to roam freely
3
: to vary within limits
the temperature ranged from 50° to 90°
Medical Definition
range
1 of 2 nounoften attributive
1
: the region throughout which a kind of organism or ecological community naturally lives or occurs
2
: the difference between the least and greatest values of an attribute or of the variable of a frequency distribution
range
2 of 2 intransitive verb
ranged; ranging
1
: to change or differ within limits
symptoms range in severity from mild to severe
2
of an organism
: to live or occur in or be native to a region
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