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

Russell Garbut, a resident of the tiny New Zealand township of Clyde that Neill regularly visited, told the Guardian. — ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026

That town manages its own water but gets its supply by buying it from both the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority and Ann Arbor township. — Laura Mullenbach, Fortune, 14 July 2026

Other locations Check your city, township, or county website and social media for the latest announcements, or call the United Way 211 hotline to get information. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 13 July 2026

The former trustee expressed frustrations that other township trustees, along with those at the county and state level, have in her mind turned a blind eye to concerns about Harris’ salary and residency. — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 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)