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

Fire crews from Unity and Derry townships, as well as Latrobe and Pleasant Unity, worked to get Hess out of the vehicle. —Christopher Derose, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026

For comparison, nearby Hampton Township has an official website with links listing town officers, meeting minutes, official ways to contact the city, as well as information regarding township permit applications, and other pertinent information. —Elliot Mann, Twin Cities, 18 Mar. 2026

Kenneth ‘Ken’ Henderson ran unopposed to lead the township Republican Party. —Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026

Phased elections were held in December and January in 263 of the country’s 330 townships. —ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026

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)