downtown

1 of 2

adjective

down·​town ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇n 

1

: of, relating to, or located in the lower part or business center of a city or town

2

: hip, trendy

downtown music

downtown adverb

downtown

2 of 2

noun

down·​town ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇n  ˈdau̇n-ˌtau 

: the lower part of a city or town

also : the main business district or central part of a city or town

downtowner

ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇-nər 

noun

Synonyms of downtown

Adjective

• hip
• now
• fashionable
• in
• stylish
• trendy
• chic

Examples of downtown in a Sentence

Adjective

the downtown clientele of this bistro come to be seen, and the food is only an afterthought

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

None of that is in tension with enforcing the curfew that already exists, prosecuting those driving cars into police officers and holding parents accountable when their children are downtown at 3 a.m. with weapons. —Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026

For sports travelers, that means the pregame meal does not have to be a chain restaurant, and the postgame dinner does not have to be downtown. —Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 11 May 2026

Noun

Construction outside the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center has become a familiar sight in downtown Dallas since July 2025. —Dawn White, CBS News, 19 June 2026

Another 13 people were wounded on downtown Sacramento’s K Street and 10th Street, in what became the deadliest mass shooting in the city’s history. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1845, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for downtown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown
• knockdown

Kids Definition

downtown

1 of 2 adverb

down·​town ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇n 

: to, toward, or in the main business district

downtown

2 of 2 adjective

-ˌtau̇n

: situated downtown