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The Suburbs vs. the Urbs
Given that most of the common words in our language beginning sub- tend to have meanings concerned with “beneath” (as in subterranean and submarine) or “less than” (as with subpar), you would be forgiven for assuming that the suburbs were so named because of their location below, or their status as less than, their urban counterparts. Not so, however: sub- may have other meanings at the beginning of a word; in this case, it indicates not depth or inferiority, but proximity. In other words, the suburbs are a region close to the urbs.
Is urbs an English word? Yes; it is rarely used, but it refers typically to a city, particularly when distinguished from a suburb.
Examples of urban in a Sentence
John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2026
Set the scene Stepping into the hip, urban Nhow Roma feels like a sensory overload in the best of ways.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Mar. 2026
The bustling suburban area, which includes Clay and Platte counties, typically leans more conservative than the city’s urban core.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2026
While Black writers and artists looked to Harlem as a source of optimism and inspiration, whites saw Harlem and other centers of urban Black life as alluring quarters for their more licentious desires.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for urban
Cite this Entry
“Urban.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urban. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
urban
adjective
