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The Suburbs vs. the Urbs
Given that most of the common words in our language beginning sub- tend to have meanings concerned with “beneath” (as in subterranean and submarine) or “less than” (as with subpar), you would be forgiven for assuming that the suburbs were so named because of their location below, or their status as less than, their urban counterparts. Not so, however: sub- may have other meanings at the beginning of a word; in this case, it indicates not depth or inferiority, but proximity. In other words, the suburbs are a region close to the urbs.
Is urbs an English word? Yes; it is rarely used, but it refers typically to a city, particularly when distinguished from a suburb.
Examples of urban in a Sentence
Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026
Suki Waterhouse modeled a stylish urban look in Notting Hill on Tuesday with a pair of Shushu/Tong heels completing her ensemble.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 16 June 2026
The Medicaid cuts are a gut punch to already fragile healthcare systems, particularly the rural hospitals and urban safety-net hospitals that disproportionately serve people with public insurance.
—Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
In that sense, the transformation of Paris under Napoleon III and Haussmann remains one of the most fascinating urban projects of the 19th century.
—Roberto Prieto, Variety, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for urban
Cite this Entry
“Urban.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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urban
adjective
