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.
The race to succeed retiring New York City Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez in the 7th District is leading to one of the top Democratic primaries in the five boroughs, pitting progressives against democratic socialists. Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 31 May 2026 Its most recent 54th run was record-breaking, the biggest marathon in history, with 132 countries represented, 59,226 finishers and by far the highest number of spectators in every neighborhood who supported and cheered runners on a route that races through all five boroughs. Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 And there are places that are called boroughs and districts and neighborhoods and towns and hamlets. AFAR Media, 30 May 2026 Zepbound injection pen arranged in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 28 May 2026 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 4 Jun. 2026.

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

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