1. the area near or surrounding a place; the outskirts or environs
Usage: formal; often plural
2. a person’s usual haunts or sphere of activity
Usage: formal; often plural

Examples

• The castle and its purlieus were heavily guarded.
• She rarely ventured beyond the purlieus of her neighborhood.
• The university’s purlieus include several nearby coffee shops and bookstores.
• He felt uncomfortable outside the familiar purlieus of his profession.
• The detective searched the purlieus of the crime scene for evidence.
• Artists often gather in the purlieus of the museum district.