sphere

Definitions

From Greek sphaîra, 'ball.' The literal meaning is a perfectly round body. Because a ball is a self-contained round region, sphere also came to mean an abstract region — a sphere of influence, the public sphere — the zone within which someone acts or holds power.

Why It Means This

The leap from 'ball' to 'domain' is the interesting part. Imagine an invisible globe drawn around a person, a country, or a topic, marking off everything inside as theirs. That bounded round region is what we mean by a sphere of influence or a person's private sphere — a metaphorical ball drawn around an area of life.

Common Collocations

• 1.sphere of influence势力范围／影响圈
• 2.public sphere公共领域
• 3.private sphere私人领域
• 4.sphere of activity活动领域

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The Earth is not a perfect sphere; it bulges slightly at the equator.

• 2.

  Cooking and cleaning were once seen as the woman's sphere.

• 3.

  Russia long regarded the region as part of its sphere of influence.

• 4.

  She is a respected figure in the political sphere.

Synonym Comparison