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

Aaron Siko, the township's manager, said the reason for the spike is to create a new 3 mill fire tax for its $2 million department, one that was consolidated in recent years. —Lauren Linder, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025

The tavern operated as an a shebeen, a type of informal licensed bar that is popular in townships. —Liezl Thom, ABC News, 21 Dec. 2025

He is still listed as the fire chief, according to a township website. —Matthew Cupelli, Cincinnati Enquirer, 20 Dec. 2025

About 70% of local governments in the state complete our survey each year, which means that our results reflect the opinions of everyone from township clerks in the Upper Peninsula to mayors of larger cities in the Metro Detroit area. —Stephanie Leiser, The Conversation, 19 Dec. 2025

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)