Raion

Alternative forms

• rayon
• rajon

Origin

From Russian район, archaic районъ, from French rayon ("honeycomb, department"). More recently influenced by the same name used in other post-Soviet states. Compare Ukrainian район.

Full definition of raion

Noun

1. An administrative unit of some Eastern European and Asian states.
• 2000, Roman Szporluk, Russia, Ukraine, and the Breakup of the Soviet Union, Stanford: Hoover Institution Press, p 119:Suffice it to mention that several thousand raion papers were replaced by “territorial administrations” organs, and that all transport papers were closed.

Usage notes

The term describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city and is almost always translated as "district". A raion is usually an entity two steps below the national level.

Anagrams

• noria, oiran, on air, on-air