inner city

noun

Synonyms of inner citynext
: 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.
Take their recent donation to Boston’s Youth Enrichment Services (YES), a group that strives to get inner city kids out on snow. Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 17 Dec. 2025 And so as the big grocery stores have closed in inner city neighborhoods, the dollar stores moved in. Tonya Mosley, NPR, 11 Nov. 2025 Car & Ride-share Services Within the inner city, skip the hassle and call a car; ride-share services like Ola and DiDi are everywhere. Alli Forde, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2025 Joe Vercellino, an award-winning music teacher who taught music in Detroit's inner city for nearly a decade and was named Detroit's Teacher of the Year in 2021, knows this reality firsthand. Kris Ann Valdez, Parents, 4 Nov. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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