village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvi-lij 

often attributive

1

a

: a settlement usually larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town

b

: an incorporated minor municipality

2

: the residents of a village

3

: something (such as an aggregation of burrows or nests) suggesting a village

4

: a territorial area having the status of a village especially as a unit of local government

Synonyms of village

• hamlet

Examples of village in a Sentence

Entire villages come to see the parade.

we stayed in a charming bed-and-breakfast in a lakeside village

Recent Examples on the Web

Like any village worth its weight in cobblestones, quirky characters, and quaint pubs, Three Pines’ titular Quebec town harbors its share of dark secrets. —Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026

The mayor said the village will pay for the hardware. —Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 15 June 2026

The Amalfi Coast is famously sultry, comprising 13 villages that are sprinkled along a rugged shore. —Natalie Hammond, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 June 2026

The disaster destroyed villages, farmland, roads, and local administrative systems. —Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French vilage, from vil manorial estate, farmstead, from Latin villa

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing village

• global village
• inter-village
• Potemkin village

Rhymes for village

• millage
• pillage
• spillage

Kids Definition

village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvil-ij 

1

: a place somewhat smaller than a town

2

: the people living in a village