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
He was born and raised in Montreal – specifically in a borough called Montréal-Nord – to parents who immigrated from Haiti to Canada in their 20s.
—
Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
Despite the recent case of high profile indiscriminate violence, the murder rate continues to drop across the five boroughs, with 65 slayings citywide this year through April 12, a 22% drop from the 84 slayings by that time last year.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
The new garden brings that total in the borough to nine.
—Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
There are quite a few places for role-playing games across the five boroughs, but only at Twenty Sided in Williamsburg can D&D and Pathfinder enthusiasts learn to paint bespoke miniatures.
—The Editors, Curbed, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for borough
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Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
Despite the recent case of high profile indiscriminate violence, the murder rate continues to drop across the five boroughs, with 65 slayings citywide this year through April 12, a 22% drop from the 84 slayings by that time last year.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026
The new garden brings that total in the borough to nine.
—Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
There are quite a few places for role-playing games across the five boroughs, but only at Twenty Sided in Williamsburg can D&D and Pathfinder enthusiasts learn to paint bespoke miniatures.
—The Editors, Curbed, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for borough
Cite this Entry
“Borough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borough. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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