suburb

1 of 3

noun (1)

sub·​urb ˈsə-ˌbərb 

1

a

: an outlying part of a city or town

b

: a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a city

c

suburbs plural : the residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town

2

suburbs plural : the near vicinity : environs

suburban

sə-ˈbər-bən 

adjective or noun

suburbanite

sə-ˈbər-bə-ˌnīt 

noun

suburban

2 of 3

adjective

sub·​ur·​ban səˈbər|bən 

-ˈbə̄|, 

-ˈbəi|

1

: of, relating to, inhabiting, or located in the suburbs

a suburban home

2

: characteristic of life in the suburbs: such as

a

obsolete : suburb sense 2, dissolute

b

: lacking in finish or elegance : provincial

c

: blending or characterized by the blending of the urban and rural

suburban recreation

suburban

3 of 3

noun (2)

"

plural -s

1

: a dweller in the suburbs : suburbanite

2

: station wagon

Did you know?

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 suburb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Fairfield County suburb of New Canaan violated Connecticut’s 8-30g law by rejecting the plan for a three-story building along Parade Hill Road, the lawsuit claims. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 25 Aug. 2026

The finished drinking water will travel south through another underground tunnel around the west side of O’Hare International Airport, where it will be distributed to seven northwest Cook suburbs, including Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates, May said. — Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

The ranking excludes expensive suburbs, such as Scarsdale, New York, that are part of larger metropolitan areas. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

At the center of the property in the Sacramento suburb of Fair Oaks is a roughly 12,663-square-foot, Mediterranean-style residence. — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English suburbe, from Anglo-French, from Latin suburbium, from sub- near + urbs city — more at sub-

Adjective

Latin suburbanus, from sub- + urb-, urbs city + -anus -an

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

suburb

noun

sub·​urb ˈsəb-ˌərb 

1

a

: a part of a city or town near its outer edge

b

: a smaller community close to a city

2

plural : the area of homes close to or surrounding a city

suburban

sə-ˈbər-bən 

adjective or noun

Etymology

Noun

Middle English suburb "part around the outer edge of a city," from early French (same meaning), from Latin suburbium (same meaning), from sub "under, close to" and urbs "city"