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

And the players have been comfortable back in their Kansas City base, an oasis of calm in the green mid-western suburbs. — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 14 July 2026

But in his 4th Congressional District, a collection of Democratic-trending cities and suburbs near Phoenix, residents of Ahwatukee had protested the construction of a 1-million-square-foot data center all year. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 14 July 2026

Departing from Moynihan Train Hall in the heart of Manhattan, the train eases out from beneath the skyline before slipping into New Jersey, where city boroughs gradually give way to quieter suburbs. — Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2026

On the morning of October 19, the day of the robbery, the pair were instructed to meet two accomplices in Aubervilliers, a northeastern suburb of Paris. — Tessa Solomon For Artnews, Robb Report, 14 July 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"