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

As Detroit prepares to welcome thousands of people downtown for Grand Prix weekend, city leaders say public safety has been a months-long effort. — Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 28 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

In the beginning, the Genesis Convention Center reigned over downtown Gary as a symbol of ambition and pride. — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026

Big Uncle, a middle-aged security guard at a downtown bank, peeked into the kitchen. — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 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