township

noun

town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship 

1

a

: town sense 5

b

: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states usually having a chief administrative officer or board

c

: an unorganized subdivision of the county in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont

d

: an electoral and administrative district of the county in the southern U.S.

2

: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 sections or 36 square miles

3

: an area in the Republic of South Africa that was segregated under apartheid for occupation by persons of non-European descent

4

: an ancient unit of administration in England identical in area with or a division of a parish

Examples of township in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The finalists include: • Larry Burks, who served as the township administrator for West Chester Township, Ohio, for seven years until February 2025. —Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025

Heavy smoke from the fire was affecting visibility in the neighboring townships, where residents have been allowed to return to their homes after about 5,000 people were evacuated. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025

The outlet reported that Sullivan has been based in the Motherwell township branch of the Fellowship Baptist Church since 2018. —Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025

Cheah, who converted a tin miner into a property giant known for building modern townships, has been overseeing an ambitious expansion of his healthcare business. —Anis Shakirah Mohd Muslimin, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Kids Definition

township

noun

town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship 

1

: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states

2

: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 square miles (about 93 square kilometers)