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
Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2026
The hard life of an urban carnivore Miller grew up in a small town in Michigan and was always attracted to the outdoors.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
There are six species of birds that flock to neighborhoods and try to roost, said Rachel Richter, an urban wildlife biologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife.
—Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026
The Flemister Foundation aims to help urban dance communities specializing in styles such as hip-hop and majorette overcome their grief through mental health counseling and dance competitions in Chicago and beyond.
—Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 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 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
urban
adjective
