urban

adjective

ur·​ban ˈər-bən How to pronounce urban (audio)
: of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city

Examples of urban 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.
The city of Evanston, an urban suburb of Chicago, issued a statement warning its residents of impending raids by ICE agents and urging them to report sightings of law enforcement. Rebecca Schneid, Time, 4 Oct. 2025 The deaths occurred in 27 counties, with a nearly even split between urban and rural areas. Ashley Luthern, jsonline.com, 4 Oct. 2025 Localized flooding issues are possible, especially in the urban areas along the east coast of Florida, the center said in an online forecast. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025 Friend, a startup that spent $1 million on a sprawling campaign in the New York City subway with more than 11,000 advertisements on subway cars, 1,000 platform posters, and 130 urban panels, has been hit especially hard. Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for urban

Word History

Etymology

Latin urbanus, from urbs city

First Known Use

circa 1634, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of urban was circa 1634

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Cite this Entry

“Urban.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

urban

adjective
ur·​ban ˈər-bən How to pronounce urban (audio)
: of, relating to, typical of, or being a city
urban life
an urban area

Biographical Definition

Urban

biographical name

Ur·​ban ˈər-bən How to pronounce Urban (audio)
name of 8 popes: especially II ( Odo ˈō-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce Urban (audio) of Lagery) circa 1035–1099 (pope 1088–99)

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