Definition of town
1a : a compactly settled area usually larger than a village but smaller than a cityb : a compactly settled area as distinguished from surrounding rural territoryc : a large densely populated urban area : cityd : 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
4a : the inhabitants of a city or town practically the whole town turned out for the paradeb : 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
town
adjectiveon the town
: in usually carefree pursuit of entertainment or amusement (such as city nightlife) especially as a relief from routine
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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
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Season three finale of the story of a town in New York state three years after a global cataclysm.
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Chesterton repaved almost 2 miles of roads last September after receiving $156,000 in funds for $312,000 in road projects, said John Schnadenberg, that town's street commissioner.
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In the little town of Matawan, 11 miles inland on the tidal currents of Matawan Creek, all was calm despite the growing disquiet at the shore.
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In March, city officials agreed to provide $85,000 in relocation assistance, aimed at keeping the company and its 20 employees in town.
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This year, the town has proposed a $100 parking permit, available to anyone and mandatory for parking near the main access point to the beach.
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The missile was launched from the coastal town of Wonsan, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
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Britain’s impending break with the European Union was a point of tension with France when the two leaders met for the first time since Macron’s election victory, in a 15th-century former monastery in the historic town of Taormina, Sicily.
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The FARC organization was part of the fabric of life in her town of Puerto Limón, Meta, in central Colombia.
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.
Origin and Etymology of town
Middle English, from Old English tūn enclosure, village, town; akin to Old High German zūn enclosure, Old Irish dún fortress
First Known Use: before 12th century
TOWN Defined for English Language Learners
town
playDefinition of town for English Language Learners
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: a place where people live that is larger than a village but smaller than a city
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: the people in a town
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the town : the government of a town
TOWN Defined for Kids
town
playDefinition of town for Students
1 : a thickly settled area that is usually larger than a village but smaller than a city
2 : the people of a town The whole town came out to watch the parade.
Learn More about town
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See words that rhyme with town Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for town Spanish Central: Translation of town Nglish: Translation of town for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of town for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about town
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