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

In one Ohio township, fire fighters reported being overwhelmed by the high volume of calls to two local data center campuses. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026

Helen Leone Dymond, 48, was last seen on June 28, 1981, after attending a party at the Tilden Township Club a private social gathering for township residents and invited guests in Marquette County. — Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Police ask anyone who witnessed the crash or has information that can assist officers to contact the township police department at 248-433-7755. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026

Located in central Ontario, Canada, the township of Muskoka Lakes is synonymous with quaint cottages and the great outdoors. — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 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)