town

noun \ ˈtau̇n \

Definition of town

1 a :a compactly settled area usually larger than a village but smaller than a city

b :a compactly settled area as distinguished from surrounding rural territory

c :a large densely populated urban area :city

d :an English village having a periodic fair or market

2 :a particular town or city under consideration

the circus came to town

3 :the city or urban life as contrasted with the country

4 a :the inhabitants of a city or town

practically the whole town turned out for the parade

b :the townspeople of a college or university town as distinct from the academic community

relations between town and gown

5 :a New England territorial and political unit usually containing under a single town government both rural areas and urban areas not having their own charter of incorporation; also :a New England community governed by a town meeting

6 dialectal, England :a cluster or aggregation of houses recognized as a distinct place with a place-name :hamlet

7 :a group of prairie dog burrows

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town

adjective

— on the town

:in usually carefree pursuit of entertainment or amusement (such as city nightlife) especially as a relief from routine

See town defined for English-language learners

See town defined for kids

Examples of town in a Sentence

the town of Jackson, Florida
The nearest shopping mall is two towns away.
The town plans to increase property taxes.
We're heading to town later on.

Recent Examples of town from the Web

The dream of back-to-back playoff appearances dies before St. Nick gets to town.

— adam h. beasley, miamiherald, "Predicting the 2017 Dolphins season: A game-by-game breakdown," 30 Aug. 2017
Northbrook youth baseball hasn't been affiliated with the official Little League for years, but there are plenty of games in town, and in Vernon Hills, where Mackie lives now.

— irv leavitt, chicagotribune.com, "Northbrook Little Leaguers reflect on playing ball in the 1950s," 29 Aug. 2017
The iconic retailer that used a flashing blue light to alert shoppers to in-store special deals once could be found in a dozen towns across the south suburbs from Lansing to Bridgeview and beyond.

— bob bong, Daily Southtown, "Comings & Goings: Oak Lawn Kmart to close in November," 29 Aug. 2017
Town houses for sale now cost $359,000 and condominiums $460,000.

— john sowell, idahostatesman, "At last, Downtown Boise is becoming a residential neighborhood — for those with means," 28 Aug. 2017
Towns scored a game-high 33 points in the game, which was part of a charity weekend organized by Kentucky coach John Calipari.

— fletcher page, The Courier-Journal, "Karl-Anthony Towns continues anti-racism campaign at UK basketball alumni game," 25 Aug. 2017
Over the past few years, Tulum has become one of Mexico's hottest tourist destinations, thanks to the small coastal town's Instagram-worthy blue water, white sand beaches, and Mayan ruins.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "Here’s Why You Should Think Twice Before Heading to Tulum," 23 Aug. 2017
The Waltham Public Library, which is located in the same town as Brandeis, received emailed bomb threats the day before the college did, and several schools in the area also had similar threats last month.

— lily herman, Teen Vogue, "Brandeis University Temporarily Shut Down Over Email Threat," 23 Aug. 2017
Later, she was seen exploring the school's town of Cambridge and Harvard Square, according to the Globe.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Malia Obama's Move-In Day at Harvard Was Totally Normal," 23 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'town.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.