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

Keep scrolling for more

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

Up and down the Andes, glaciers are vanishing at a pace that threatens the livelihood of local villagers, larger cities, and the Amazon basin itself. — Austin Merrill, WSJ, "The Amazon: The Heart of the World," 3 Dec. 2018 The Compass is rated at 22mpg in the city, 30mpg on the highway, and 25mpg overall. — Eric Bangeman, Ars Technica, "Good drive, good value: The Jeep Compass Latitude reviewed," 29 Nov. 2018 For years, Rome, like many major European cities, has struggled with overtourism and bad behavior on the parts of both locals and tourists. — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "Rome Cracking Down on Street Drinking, Bad Tourist Behavior With New Laws," 28 Nov. 2018 About: This national non-profit, recently expanded to 13 cities across the U.S., tackles homelessness through running, community support, and employment and housing resources. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "10 Ways to Use Your Love of Fitness to Do Good on Giving Tuesday or Any Day," 27 Nov. 2018 The areas affected include two of the nation’s most populous cities: San Francisco and San Jose. — Rani Molla, Recode, "Recent East Coast hurricanes have gotten more media coverage than California wildfires," 21 Nov. 2018 Even though human social networks often fall apart in cities, with people feeling lonely and isolated, the resistant pests stay connected. — Rob Dunn, Discover Magazine, "Our Attempts to Eradicate Insects are Just Making them Resistant to Pesticides," 16 Nov. 2018 The charming city of Essex, home to about 6,800 people, was founded in 1852 and is made up of three villages: Centerbrook, Essex Village, and Ivoryton. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Hallmark's 'Christmas at Pemberley Manor' Was Filmed in This Connecticut Town You Can Visit," 27 Oct. 2018 Today, the agency employs 2,442 people across 17 divisions in major American cities, plus a forensic laboratory in Dulles, Washington. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "The Technology of Pipe Bombs and Suspicious Packages, Explained," 25 Oct. 2018

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.