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

Woods, a former Thornton Township youth program director, filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination after he was fired in February 2025 for participating in a brawl that broke out during a previous township board meeting. — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026

For example, state law called for township officer terms to begin on November 20. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 22 June 2026

After learning about Air Products' data center plan and conducting research, Caruth drafted two legal objections and submitted them to the township's zoning officials. — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026

Soweto, one of the oldest townships in South Africa, bears symbols of the historic day which are frequently visited by local and international tourists. — ABC News, 15 June 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)