town

noun

ˈtau̇n 

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

town adjective

Phrases

on the town

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

Synonyms

• asphalt jungle
• burg
• city
• cosmopolis
• megacity
• megalopolis
• metropolis
• municipality

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 on the Web

The soles are both lightweight and cloudlike, forming to your foot and providing pillowy comfort for all-day wear or running errands around town. —Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024

Commuter towns will grow in locations in which housing and childcare is affordable and plentiful, which are safe from climate change, and increasingly, within a reachable radius of HQ. —Julia Hobsbawm, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024

In this town, those people are often actors who come to stay for transient periods of time for film productions or simply like the luxuries of a hotel. —Elisa Wouk Almino, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024

What would a mass deportation, as Trump's rhetoric has touched on, mean for this industry and also some of these towns that rely on it? —USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024

Researchers looked at data from thousands of towns in the U.S. with populations between 1,000 and 10,000 residents. —Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024

With three towns on the list, Spain takes the honor of being the country with the most winners. —María Casbas, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2024

Read on to discover the best mountain towns in North Carolina. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2024

Other industry players observed that activist investment is not, and perhaps never has been, a successful play in this town. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English tūn enclosure, village, town; akin to Old High German zūn enclosure, Old Irish dún fortress

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 6

Phrases Containing town

• blow town
• company town
• county town
• cow town
• dormitory town
• ghost town
• go to town
• hit the town
• in town
• man-about-town
• market town
• new town
• on the town
• out of town
• paint the town (red)
• shire town
• small-town
• steel town
• tank town
• the only game in town
• the talk of the town
• the town
• toast of the town
• town car
• town centre
• town clerk
• town crier
• town hall
• town house
• town manager
• town meeting
• twin town

Kids Definition

town

noun

ˈtau̇n 

1

a

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

b

: city sense 1

2

: the people of a town

town adjective