county

1 of 2

noun (1)

coun·​ty ˈkau̇n-tē 

plural counties

1

: the domain of a count

2

a

: one of the territorial divisions of England and Wales and formerly also of Scotland and Northern Ireland constituting the chief units for administrative, judicial, and political purposes

b(1)

: the people of a county

(2)

British : the gentry of a county

3

: the largest territorial division for local government within a state of the U.S.

4

: the largest local administrative unit in various countries

county adjective

county

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural counties

archaic

: count entry 3

Examples of county in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Will city and county offices in Michigan be open? —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 11 Nov. 2025

In the Upper Peninsula, Marquette and Alger counties are forecast to receive 2 to 4 inches of snow, with wind gusts reaching 20 mph. —Sirena Bergman, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025

Central Indiana counties are not under a travel advisory, but the National Weather Service in Indianapolis recommends drivers still exercise caution when navigating the roads as the snow continues. —Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 10 Nov. 2025

Arizona is planning a travelling museum that will bring the state’s most treasured historical artifacts to all fifteen of its counties, setting them up in parks, schools, libraries, and civic centers. —Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English counte, from Anglo-French cunté, counté, from Medieval Latin comitatus, from Late Latin, office of a count, from comit-, comes count — more at count

Noun (2)

modification of Middle French comte

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1539, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing county

• administrative county
• county agent
• county borough
• county court
• county fair
• county palatine
• county seat
• county town
• inter-county
• sub-county

Rhymes for county

• bounty

Kids Definition

county

noun

coun·​ty

ˈkau̇nt-ē

plural counties

1

: the area owned by a count

2

: a division of a state or of a country for local government

Etymology

Noun

Middle English counte "division of the country for the purposes of government," from early French counté "region under control of a count," derived from Latin comes count — related to count entry 3