Sector

How to spell sector

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce sector

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does sector mean?

1. nounA distinct part or division of an economy, society, or field of activity.
2. nounA portion of a circle enclosed by two radii and the arc between them, or a defined zone of an area.

Sector in a sentence

• The technology sector created thousands of jobs this year.

• The pie chart shows each expense as a coloured sector of the circle.

• Funding for the public sector was frozen in the budget.

• The rescue team searched the northern sector of the valley.

Where does sector come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin sector, a noun built on the verb secare, which literally meant 'to cut'. The same cutting root lies behind a whole family of English words, including 'section', 'dissect', 'intersect', and even 'insect' (a creature that looks notched or cut into segments). In its earliest English use, from the late 1500s, sector named a mathematical instrument and the geometric figure formed by cutting a slice out of a circle between two radii. From that idea of a cut-off portion the meaning broadened over time, and by the twentieth century it was widely used for a distinct part of an economy, an industry, or a defended military area. Keeping the Latin root secare in mind helps fix the spelling: it is sect plus -or, not the -er ending many writers expect.

How the word is built

• sect- (from secare: to cut)
• -or (noun suffix denoting a part or agent)