suburb

noun

sub·​urb ˈsə-ˌbərb How to pronounce suburb (audio)
1
a
: an outlying part of a city or town
b
: a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a city
c
suburbs plural : the residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town
2
suburbs plural : the near vicinity : environs
suburban adjective or noun
suburbanite noun

Did you know?

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 suburb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With Republicans holding a razor-thin three-seat majority and California home to several swing seats, control of Congress in 2025 could very well be decided by voters in Golden State suburbs. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 With a telescope, the show’s visitors can also peer across the gray roofs of Paris to Invader’s latest milestone: his 1,500th mosaic in the Olympic host city and its suburbs. John Leicester, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2024 The 2020 national exit polls had Mr. Biden narrowly ahead of Trump in places designated as suburbs. Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 After a couple of stops—laying a wreath at a memorial, visiting a stone house that Washington used as his headquarters—the motorcade headed to a community college in the nearby suburb of Blue Bell, where Biden would give a speech. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The affluent suburb has long been prized for its quiet seclusion and grand residences. Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2024 In an interview, Myers said the map that Senate Democrats submitted to the court would have excluded the North Shore suburb. Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Gilbert was ranked as the best suburb to raise a family in Phoenix, according to Niche.com. Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 For example, the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, in 2019 began offering housing assistance to Black residents to atone for generations of property undervaluation by white appraisers that slowed Black families’ efforts to accumulate generational wealth. USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'suburb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English suburbe, from Anglo-French, from Latin suburbium, from sub- near + urbs city — more at sub-

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of suburb was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near suburb

Cite this Entry

“Suburb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suburb. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

suburb

noun
sub·​urb ˈsəb-ˌərb How to pronounce suburb (audio)
1
a
: a part of a city or town near its outer edge
b
: a smaller community close to a city
2
plural : the area of homes close to or surrounding a city
suburban adjective or noun
Etymology

Middle English suburb "part around the outer edge of a city," from early French (same meaning), from Latin suburbium (same meaning), from sub "under, close to" and urbs "city"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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