borough

noun

bor·​ough ˈbər-(ˌ)ō 

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

This year, on Sunday, November 1, over 60,000 runners are expected to take part in the marathon, which follows a path that spans all five boroughs, starting on Staten Island and finishing in Central Park. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026

Its programming draws from the surrounding borough of Newham, which is one of London’s most vibrant and diverse districts, with more than a hundred different languages spoken among its residents. — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

JetBlue planes populate the tarmac on June 24, 2026 at JFK Airport in the Queens borough of New York City. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Millvale officials said the borough previously kept tax rates low in part by deferring necessary maintenance on buildings, ending its paving program and relying on emergency savings and other funds. — Jessica Riley, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing borough

• borough English
• borough hall
• county borough
• inter-borough
• metropolitan borough
• municipal borough
• pocket borough
• rotten borough

Rhymes for borough

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

borough

noun

bor·​ough ˈbər-ō 

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