borough

noun

bor·​ough ˈbər-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce borough (audio)
ˈbə-(ˌ)rō
Synonyms of boroughnext
1
a
: a medieval fortified group of houses forming a town with special duties and privileges
b
: a town or urban constituency in Great Britain that sends a member to Parliament
c
: an urban area in Great Britain incorporated for purposes of self-government
2
a
: a municipal corporation proper in some states (such as New Jersey and Minnesota) corresponding to the incorporated town or village of the other states
b
: one of the five constituent political divisions of New York City
3
: a civil division of the state of Alaska corresponding to a county in most other states

Examples of borough in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This particular building had originally been constructed in 1904 as the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Power Station, a massive entity built to manage the borough’s growing transit. Elyssa Goodman, Them., 23 Dec. 2025 Philip Young served as a Conservative Swindon borough council member for Covingham and Nythe between 2007 and 2010, according to the BBC. Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025 Keeping pollutants away from water supply The deal is all about keeping pollutants out of the water that flows to the five boroughs and much of Westchester. Tony Aiello, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2025 The city is made up of 16 boroughs or delegaciones, which are divided into various neighborhoods or colonias. Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for borough

Word History

Etymology

Middle English burgh, from Old English burg fortified town; akin to Old High German burg fortified place, and probably to Old English beorg hill — more at barrow

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of borough was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Borough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borough. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

borough

noun
bor·​ough ˈbər-ō How to pronounce borough (audio)
1
a
: a town or urban area in Great Britain that sends a member to Parliament
b
: a self-governing urban area in Great Britain
2
: a self-governing town or village in some states
3
: one of the five political divisions of New York City

More from Merriam-Webster on borough

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