village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvi-lij 

often attributive

1

a

: a settlement usually larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town

b

: an incorporated minor municipality

2

: the residents of a village

3

: something (such as an aggregation of burrows or nests) suggesting a village

4

: a territorial area having the status of a village especially as a unit of local government

Synonyms

• bourg
• hamlet
• townlet
• vill
• whistle-stop

Examples of village in a Sentence

Entire villages come to see the parade.

we stayed in a charming bed-and-breakfast in a lakeside village

Recent Examples on the Web

Large-scale events previously held on the property, like the Ultra music festival and the Miami boat show, prompted traffic tie-ups that raised the ire of village residents. —Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 5 June 2024

The allegations against the Arakan Army are unfolding against the backdrop of reports that Rohingya have been conscripted into Myanmar’s military and joined troops in raiding Rakhine villages. —Verena Hölzl, New York Times, 3 June 2024

Local residents discovered his remains and buried him in the village cemetery in Grevenmacher in April 1945. —Lucia Suarez Sang, CBS News, 3 June 2024

A day after that pledge, on Jan. 1, 2018, riots broke out between rival demonstrators in villages along the Bhima River. —Lauren Frayer, NPR, 2 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French vilage, from vil manorial estate, farmstead, from Latin villa

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing village

• global village
• inter-village
• Potemkin village

Kids Definition

village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvil-ij 

1

: a place somewhat smaller than a town

2

: the people living in a village