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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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2026
This cavalier attitude toward urban planning has been conjoined to a disingenuousness in the discussion of City Hall’s fate.
—Mark Lamster
architecture Critic, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
Bears that are in urban areas and less afraid of humans may not perceive loud noises as a threat.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
During the 1970s and 1980s, the Citywide Parents Council became one of the most influential parent organizations in any urban school system in the country.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 11 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 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
urban
adjective
