Meaning & Definition of Range in English

1. An area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"

• "A piano has a greater range than the human voice"

• "The ambit of municipal legislation"

• "Within the compass of this article"

• "Within the scope of an investigation"

• "Outside the reach of the law"

• "In the political orbit of a world power"

2. The limits within which something can be effective

• "Range of motion"

• "He was beyond the reach of their fire"

3. A large tract of grassy open land on which livestock can graze

• "They used to drive the cattle across the open range every spring"

• "He dreamed of a home on the range"

4. A series of hills or mountains

• "The valley was between two ranges of hills"

• "The plains lay just beyond the mountain range"

5. A place for shooting (firing or driving) projectiles of various kinds

• "The army maintains a missile range in the desert"

• "Any good golf club will have a range where you can practice"

6. A variety of different things or activities

• "He answered a range of questions"

• "He was impressed by the range and diversity of the collection"

7. (mathematics) the set of values of the dependent variable for which a function is defined

• "The image of f(x) = x^2 is the set of all non-negative real numbers if the domain of the function is the set of all real numbers"

8. The limit of capability

• "Within the compass of education"

9. A kitchen appliance used for cooking food

• "Dinner was already on the stove"

1. Change or be different within limits

• "Estimates for the losses in the earthquake range as high as $2 billion"

• "Interest rates run from 5 to 10 percent"

• "The instruments ranged from tuba to cymbals"

• "My students range from very bright to dull"

2. Move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

• "The gypsies roamed the woods"

• "Roving vagabonds"

• "The wandering jew"

• "The cattle roam across the prairie"

• "The laborers drift from one town to the next"

• "They rolled from town to town"

3. Have a range

• Be capable of projecting over a certain distance, as of a gun

• "This gun ranges over two miles"

4. Range or extend over

• Occupy a certain area

• "The plants straddle the entire state"

5. Lay out orderly or logically in a line or as if in a line

• "Lay out the clothes"

• "Lay out the arguments"

6. Feed as in a meadow or pasture

• "The herd was grazing"

7. Let eat

• "Range the animals in the prairie"

8. Assign a rank or rating to

• "How would you rank these students?"

• "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide"