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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
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
The highest rates of mortality decline and the biggest drop in excess deaths were seen in urban, coastal and higher-income counties, according to the study.
—Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
While in New York, the king will visit a grassroots community organization that mentors children and young people affected by food insecurity through a sustainable urban farming after-school program, reflecting his longtime interest in environmental and social causes.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
In urban areas, the conditions also heighten the risk of combined sewer overflows, when stormwater mixes with untreated sewage, said Allison Fore, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
—Christiana Freitag, Chicago Tribune, 15 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 17 Apr. 2026.
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urban
adjective
