inner city

noun

: the usually older, poorer, and more densely populated central section of a city
inner-city adjective

Examples of inner city in a Sentence

The mayor is trying to attract new businesses to the inner city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s when Danger came into the picture, moving from an inner city church in St. Paul, Minnesota to Hollywood. Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 27 June 2025 One popular rule to inch closer to this goal has been to further limit smoking in public outdoor areas like restaurant and bar patios, beaches, parks, natural areas or even inner city streets. Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 White students were bused to formerly Black inner city schools, while Black students were bused to formerly white schools in the suburbs. Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 June 2025 Drake and a colleague launched an IPS pilot in New Hampshire in the early 1990s, and then followed with pilots in a mix of rural and urban areas, including in inner city Washington DC. Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for inner city

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inner city was in 1958

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inner city.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inner%20city. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

inner city

noun
: the usually older and more heavily populated central section of a city
inner-city adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on inner city

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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