inner city

noun

: the usually older, poorer, and more densely populated central section of a city
inner-city adjective

Examples of inner city in a Sentence

The mayor is trying to attract new businesses to the inner city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Drake and a colleague launched an IPS pilot in New Hampshire in the early 1990s, and then followed with pilots in a mix of rural and urban areas, including in inner city Washington DC. Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025 The library has played witness to the inner city’s woes. Louise Dewast, Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2025 Brigitte Segal, president of Les Studios de Paris, and Peninsula Pictures producer John Bernard will speak on Studios de Paris and its facilities as the largest and newest inner city studio complex. William Earl, Variety, 12 May 2025 But the Defender is overpriced and an inefficient inner city and suburbia dweller. James Raia, Mercury News, 27 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inner city

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inner city was in 1958

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Cite this Entry

“Inner city.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inner%20city. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

inner city

noun
: the usually older and more heavily populated central section of a city
inner-city adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on inner city

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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