city

noun, often attributive

\ ˈsi-tē

plural cities

Definition of city

1a : an inhabited place of greater size, population, or importance than a town or village We spent the weekend in the city.

b : an incorporated British town usually of major size or importance having the status of an episcopal see

c capitalized

(1) : the financial district of London

(2) : the influential financial interests of the British economy

d : a usually large or important municipality in the U.S. governed under a charter granted by the state

e : an incorporated municipal unit of the highest class in Canada

2 : city-state

3 : the people of a city The city rebelled against the oppressive government.

4 slang : a thing, event, or situation that is strongly characterized by a specified quintessential feature or quality The movie was shoot-out city. Getting lost in the maze was panic city.

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about city

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Examples of city in a Sentence

major cities like London, Tokyo, and Rome The city is working to make the streets safer. a lawsuit against the city

Recent Examples on the Web

The City of Los Angeles declared that Ross's birthday (Mar. 26) is an official day in the city, per Ross's Instagram account. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Beyoncé Sang "Happy Birthday" to Diana Ross at Her 75th Birthday Party," 28 Mar. 2019 She was photographed stepping out in the city with platinum-blonde, waist-length hair. — Leah Prinzivalli, Allure, "Jordyn Woods Steps Out in Head-Turning Platinum-Blonde Hair," 26 Mar. 2019 According to the Sierra Club, more than 90 cities, 10 counties, and two states have set targets for 100 percent renewable energy. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Climate and energy news in 2018 actually wasn’t all bad," 1 Jan. 2019 In one act, a mercurial and generous Jeff Bezos would bestow a city with riches beyond their imagination: an all-American tech company, tens of thousands of jobs, and $5 billion in investments. — Jacob Kastrenakes, The Verge, "The Verge 2018 tech report card: Amazon," 27 Dec. 2018 Black Girl Church will start screening in New York City and neighboring cities in early April. — Shammara Lawrence, Teen Vogue, "For Black Women, the Hair Salon and Beauty Supply Store Are Sacred Spaces," 27 Mar. 2019 The country's gorgeous alps, historic cities, and wide lakes make for fairytale surroundings in the winter and stunning fields of flowers and cows in the summer. — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "These Are the World's 10 Happiest Countries," 21 Mar. 2019 As a result, up to 60% of the city’s households are headed by females, the highest percentage in the area. — Kate Morgan, Woman's Day, "A New Jersey Softball Team Is Lifting Its City's Spirits," 21 Mar. 2019 Singer's company, Edge College & Career Network, is publicly known as the Key, which operates in 81 US cities and six countries. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Who Is William Singer, the Man at the Center of the College Admissions Fraud Scandal?," 13 Mar. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'city.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.