borough

noun

bor·​ough ˈbər-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce borough (audio)
ˈbə-(ˌ)rō
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.
The heat also triggered power outages across several boroughs, with Con Edison urging customers to conserve energy as crews worked in the sweltering heat to repair equipment and restore service to tens of thousands of residents. Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 25 June 2025 On Tuesday, June 24, as residents of the five boroughs headed to the polls to cast their ballots in what promises to be a unique primary election, heat radiated off the concrete. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 25 June 2025 Potential casino operators have proposed locations throughout the city’s boroughs, including sites in Queens, the Bronx and Lower Manhattan. Greg Evans, Deadline, 24 June 2025 Dollar vans provide an informal transit network that serves more than 100,000 riders daily in the outer boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. Morgan Simon, Forbes.com, 20 June 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 29 Jun. 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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