borough

noun

bor·​ough ˈbər-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce borough (audio)
ˈbə-(ˌ)rō
Synonyms of boroughnext
1
a
: a medieval fortified group of houses forming a town with special duties and privileges
b
: a town or urban constituency in Great Britain that sends a member to Parliament
c
: an urban area in Great Britain incorporated for purposes of self-government
2
a
: a municipal corporation proper in some states (such as New Jersey and Minnesota) corresponding to the incorporated town or village of the other states
b
: one of the five constituent political divisions of New York City
3
: a civil division of the state of Alaska corresponding to a county in most other states

Examples of borough in a Sentence

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.
Memorial Day parades are taking place all across New York City's five boroughs this weekend. Katie Houlis, CBS News, 24 May 2026 The borough began preparing for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend in September, after authorities grappled with two back-to-back seasons of summer violence that overwhelmed officials and wreaked havoc on the shores. Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2026 Hernández has performed with the Public’s Mobile Unit initiative, which mounts free productions across the city’s five boroughs, at parks, community centers, and correctional facilities, and Aikens has participated in a similar program. Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 20 May 2026 But Arsenal rallied while City fumbled, leading to scenes of delirium yesterday in London, where tens of thousands partied through the night in the club’s home borough of Islington. Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for borough

Word History

Etymology

Middle English burgh, from Old English burg fortified town; akin to Old High German burg fortified place, and probably to Old English beorg hill — more at barrow

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of borough was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Borough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borough. Accessed 28 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

borough

noun
bor·​ough ˈbər-ō How to pronounce borough (audio)
1
a
: a town or urban area in Great Britain that sends a member to Parliament
b
: a self-governing urban area in Great Britain
2
: a self-governing town or village in some states
3
: one of the five political divisions of New York City

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