Purlieus refers to the outer or surrounding areas of a place. Synonyms that could be used in its place include the likes of outskirts, periphery, fringes, vicinity, area, zone, domain, precincts, region, and surroundings. Each of these synonyms has its own distinct shade of meaning and can be used in different contexts. Outskirts, for instance, typically conjures up images of a rural or suburban enclave just outside a city, while the word precincts is often used to describe the immediate environs of a particular institution or district. In contrast, periphery is often used in a much broader sense to describe any area located at the edges of something else.