locally

Locally is an adverb used to describe something related to a particular place or region, or within a short distance. It can refer to where something is produced, observed, or consumed, or to information intended for a specific community. For example, “locally grown tomatoes” refers to produce grown near the area where it is sold, and “local news” covers events in a defined community. The opposite sense is often described as global, national, or international, depending on context.

Etymology and related forms: Locally is formed from local, which comes from Latin localis meaning “of a place,” through Old French local. The related noun locality denotes a place or region, while localization refers to the act or process of making something local or adapting it to a local context.

Contexts and usage: In geography and everyday life, locally denotes proximity and relevance to a community—examples include local economies, local culture, and local government. In commerce and sustainability discussions, the phrase locally sourced or locally produced emphasizes short supply chains and regional self-reliance. In media, “local” signals content tailored to a small area, while in everyday speech one might contrast local events with distant ones.

Science and technology: In physics, locality is a principle concerning how interactions propagate, with phenomena assumed to occur at or within the same region. In computing, “locally” often refers to data or operations performed on a user’s own device or within a local network, as in running software locally or caching data locally. Locally is commonly used across disciplines to distinguish near or area-specific phenomena from distant or broader ones.