township

noun

town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship 

1

a

: town sense 5

b

: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states usually having a chief administrative officer or board

c

: an unorganized subdivision of the county in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont

d

: an electoral and administrative district of the county in the southern U.S.

2

: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 sections or 36 square miles

3

: an area in the Republic of South Africa that was segregated under apartheid for occupation by persons of non-European descent

4

: an ancient unit of administration in England identical in area with or a division of a parish

Examples of township in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Property taxes collected in Kansas go to school districts, city governments, county governments or other special taxing districts like townships and libraries. — Cuyler Dunn, Kansas City Star, 21 July 2026

With the bill’s signing, township officials will begin working with the various awarding agencies to execute grant agreements and access the funding when the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget allows, according to the release. — Pioneer Press, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026

In Indianapolis, companies dashed plans for data centers in Franklin and Pike townships after local backlash. — Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 16 July 2026

Russell Garbut, a resident of the tiny New Zealand township of Clyde that Neill regularly visited, told the Guardian. — ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Kids Definition

township

noun

town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship 

1

: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states

2

: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 square miles (about 93 square kilometers)