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

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

The downtown Mexican restaurant, which opened on Blake Street in 1999 and moved to 1745 Wazee St. in 2022, is getting a slightly different name and menu. —Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 27 June 2025

The Shark Tank had to be downtown, so downtown had to get bigger. —Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025

Noun

Then reserve a table at an Italian restaurant downtown for Saturday night, compile a list of sightseeing highlights for the city and email me my itinerary. —Jay Bhatty, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Parking is free throughout downtown Arlington, but people should be aware of parking lot and street closures in the area. —Alyssa Cooper, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2025

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