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

Several nonprofits and local township offices also take applications. —Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025

Some historical society documents suggest the house was completed in 1916, but some tax records at the township assessor's office date the house to 1918. —Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025

On the township's website, a news release highlights potential infrastructure investments at the park. —Gillian Stawiszynski, The Enquirer, 31 Aug. 2025

The new version weaves in African musical traditions, from township styles such as isicathamiya to the Congolese swing of kwassa kwassa. —Kate Bartlett, NPR, 30 Aug. 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)