down·town
| \ ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇n
\
\
Definition of downtown
(Entry 1 of 2)
downtown
noun
down·town
| \ ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇n
, ˈdau̇n-ˌtau
\
, ˈdau̇n-ˌtau
\
Definition of downtown (Entry 2 of 2)
: the lower part of a city or town
also
: the main business district or central part of a city or town
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Other Words from downtown
Adjective
downtown
adverb
Noun
downtowner
\
ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇-nər
\
noun
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noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for downtown
Synonyms: Adjective
Antonyms: Adjective
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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
Before San Francisco office workers start streaming back to downtown high-rises again, property owners and managers need to make sure those buildings are safe.
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J.k. Dineen, SFChronicle.com, "SF’s shuttered office buildings could face new health threat: unsafe water," 28 May 2020
Freed from the shackles of 9-to-5 office work, these white-collar workers are seeking mountain homes near open space and tranquility far from downtown high-rises.
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J.k. Dineen, SFChronicle.com, "Tahoe’s new Gold Rush: Bay Area residents fleeing coronavirus push up home prices," 25 Aug. 2020
His firm's BMO Tower just opened in April and is downtown Milwaukee's newest office tower.
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Jeff Bollier, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "The reopening of Wisconsin offices is expected to happen gradually as businesses adopt social distancing," 28 May 2020
Located in a neighborhood that was then an industrial backwater, the club provided a safe space in downtown Manhattan for large groups of young African-Americans.
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Alex Williams, New York Times, "Peter Gatien, the ’90s ‘Club King,’ Wants His Final Say," 2 Apr. 2020
Low temperatures around dawn dip to 40 degrees or so downtown, with mid-30s in the coldest spots well away from the Beltway.
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A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, "D.C.-area forecast: Rain develops today, with some patchy freezing rain west; region stays wet into tomorrow," 13 Dec. 2019
Homebuyers looking for a deal amid the coronavirus pandemic might be hard-pressed to find one
Marcelo Garcia and Melissa Richmond are selling their downtown Seattle condo for $1,069,000.
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Nancy Keates, WSJ, "Despite Stay-at-Home Order, Seattle’s Real-Estate Market Continues to Show Up," 13 Apr. 2020
The Shops on El Paseo, an outdoor dining and shopping area, is a five-minute drive from the property, and downtown Palm Springs is about half an hour away.
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New York Times, "What You Get for $450,000 in California," 13 Apr. 2020
Those who want to participate will undergo a nasalpharyngeal swab, a swab that goes through your nose to the back of your throat, at Lilly’s drive-thru clinic at its downtown headquarters.
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Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "Lilly recruiting volunteers for study of asymptomatic coronavirus infection," 7 Apr. 2020
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Just blocks from Elm Grove's quiet downtown — once a train stop, now shops and an upscale grocery store — sits a park where purebreds vastly outnumber mutts on the walking trail.
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Thomas Beaumont, ajc, "'I'm still exhaling': Swing-state voters on Biden's 100 days," 30 Apr. 2021
Before the Padres moved from Mission Valley to downtown’s Petco Park in 2004, the Beach Boys performed a record 10 times at the Mission Valley stadium between 1982 and 1994, usually after a Padres game.
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George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, "The Beach Boys and Ziggy Marley will perform separate late-May concerts at Petco Park," 29 Apr. 2021
Mid-80s were the story downtown, with lower 80s in many other spots.
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Washington Post, "PM Update: Showers pass tonight, then the wind roars on Friday," 29 Apr. 2021
Last weekend, The Department of Public Safety began investigating an allegation that a lobbyist had used a date rape drug on a legislative staffer during a meeting downtown.
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James Barragán, Dallas News, "Texas lawmakers want lobbyists trained on sexual harassment after date rape drug allegations," 29 Apr. 2021
Goldenthal is the executive director at the Nash, a downtown Phoenix space that opened in 2012 on Roosevelt Row to serve the local jazz community by engaging young musicians to perform while offering educational opportunities.
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Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, "'It's really a model for living': Why jazz is as relevant as ever on International Jazz Day," 29 Apr. 2021
The historical society, which is asking voters next month to renew a five-year levy that supports its operations, also has been hard hit by the persistent rioting downtown.
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oregonlive, "Oregon Historical Society seeks levy renewal to continue telling ‘good, bad and ugly’ of state’s past," 29 Apr. 2021
As Tristan Navera reports for Columbus Business Journal, the company, which is reducing its real-estate footprint nationwide in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, is moving its employees from downtown to its campus near the Polaris Mall.
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Laura Hancock, cleveland, "Black lawmakers concerned about amending Ohio Constitution to change redistricting deadlines: Capitol Letter," 29 Apr. 2021
Legend Partners’ conditional use permit also allows for apartments that are smaller than city codes require but are in line with other downtown residential developments.
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Gloria Casas, chicagotribune.com, "40 at courtyard," 29 Apr. 2021
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'downtown.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Cite this Entry
“Downtown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downtown. Accessed 11 May. 2021.
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More Definitions for downtown
downtown
noun
English Language Learners Definition of downtown
chiefly US
: the main or central part of a city or town : the part of a city or town where there are tall buildings, stores, offices, etc.
See the full definition for downtown in the English Language Learners Dictionary
downtown
noun
down·town
| \ ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇n
, ˈdau̇n-ˌtau̇n \
, ˈdau̇n-ˌtau̇n \
Kids Definition of downtown
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the main or central part of a city or town
downtown
adverb
down·town
| \ ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇n
\
\
Kids Definition of downtown (Entry 2 of 2)
: to or toward the main or central part of a city or town
walked downtown
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Time Traveler for downtown
The first known use of downtown was in 1837
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