suburb

noun

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

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

Set in the hillside suburb of Fiesole, Il Salviatino blends Renaissance history with landscaped gardens, contemporary flair and a spa offering cutting-edge treatments just 15 minutes from Florence. —Livia Hengel, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025

And Gaza City is a huge urban area – the main city, suburbs, and a collection of dense, overpopulated refugee camps that are Hamas strongholds. —Laura Kelly, The Hill, 23 Aug. 2025

For Jodie Taylor, who grew up in a small, predominantly white suburb in Massachusetts with Jamaican Christian parents, fashion once felt like a tool for assimilation. —Larry Stansbury, Vogue, 22 Aug. 2025

The Morton Grove Village Board approved new regulations for electric bicycle – commonly known as an e-bike – and electric scooter use in town, joining a growing number of area suburbs looking to put some brakes on the increasingly popular vehicles. —Alan Kozeluh, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2025

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

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

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"