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 urban in a Sentence
Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
For users drawn to cinematic photography or urban storytelling, Mono offers a stylistic option rarely seen in mobile camera tools.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Its slate spans crime, fantasy, sci-fi, and urban drama, with partners across North America, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 May 2026
Ideal for urban parents or frequent travelers.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for urban
Cite this Entry
“Urban.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
urban
adjective
