suburb

1 of 2

noun (1)

sub·​urb ˈsə-ˌbərb 

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

sə-ˈbər-bən 

adjective or noun

suburbanite

sə-ˈbər-bə-ˌnīt 

noun

suburbanite

2 of 2

noun (2)

sub·​ur·​ban·​ite |bəˌnīt 

usually -īt+V

plural -s

: a dweller in the suburbs

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

Noun

The new house sat in their hometown of Gretna, Nebraska, a suburb of Omaha. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 June 2026

One person died after a crash involving an Illinois Department of Transportation vehicle on I-57 in the south Chicago suburbs early Saturday morning. — Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 27 June 2026

Escalating violence Sydney’s western suburbs are ground zero for a turf war that’s seen criminal gangs shoot up rivals’ homes, ignite cars and businesses, kidnap and kill associates and terrorize their families. — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 26 June 2026

María Gutiérrez, a resident of the Chacao suburb of the capital, recalls rushing out into the street in a panic when the first tremor hit, causing objects like lamps and televisions to fall in her home. — Julio Blanca, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Kids Definition

suburb

noun

sub·​urb ˈsəb-ˌərb 

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

sə-ˈbər-bən 

adjective or noun

Etymology

Noun

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"