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 From growing up in the inner city of Philadelphia to sitting on the front porch of his log home in rural Tennessee. Marcus K. Dowling, USA TODAY, 9 July 2024 The problem is so bad that many schools in the inner city even use metal detectors to prevent students from bringing guns on campus. Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2024 Sports were a chance for kids in the inner cities to get out of town and break the cycle of poverty and gangs. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 1 June 2024 In compliance with the state, larger cities like Waterbury continue to equitably share the burden of building more affordable homes in inner cities. State Rep. Geraldo Reyes, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for inner city 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inner city.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near inner city

Cite this Entry

“Inner city.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inner%20city. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.

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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