urbane

play

adjective ur·bane \ ˌər-ˈbān \

Definition of urbane

:notably polite or polished in manner

—

urbanely

adverb

See urbane defined for English-language learners

See urbane defined for kids

urbane was our Word of the Day on 05/10/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of urbane in a Sentence

The dialogue is witty and urbane.
a gentlemanly and urbane host of elegant dinner parties

Recent Examples of urbane from the Web

More: Lions signing Matthew Stafford to 5-year extension is a mistake As usual, the luncheon served as an urbane pep rally for team boosters and members of the economic club.

— carlos monarrez, Detroit Free Press, "Lions' Matthew Stafford hopes to 'outplay' new deal, win Super Bowl," 30 Aug. 2017
Tall, urbane, self-effacing McCary and rumpled Mooney—who shows up for our interview wearing a vintage sweatshirt covered with purple seals—have been a package deal since childhood.

— dylan kai dempsey, vanityfair.com, "Inside the Strange, Sincere Comedy of Kyle Mooney and Dave McCary," 24 July 2017
Tall, urbane, self-effacing McCary and rumpled Mooney—who shows up for our interview wearing a vintage sweatshirt covered with purple seals—have been a package deal since childhood.

— dylan kai dempsey, HWD, "Inside the Strange, Sincere Comedy of Kyle Mooney and Dave McCary," 24 July 2017
Rosalind’s best friend and cousin, the urbane Celia (in a mellifluous portrayal by Stella Baker), is yet another character in disguise — as a shepherdess.

— julia m. klein, Philly.com, "A darker 'As You Like It' from the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival," 23 July 2017
The changes are outlined in an environmental report released last month on the Coast Highway Corridor Study Project, which would guide the transformation of the high-traffic commercial corridor into a bustling urbane community.

— phil diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Draft plan outlines transformation of Coast Highway corridor," 21 July 2017
Closer to the financial center (just a 10-minute walk from Deutsche Bank HQ), the Sofitel Frankfurt Opera opened last October with urbane suites and an indoor pool.

— adam erace, Fortune, "How to Get the Most Out of a Trip to Frankfurt," 30 June 2017
David Korins’s set features an upward-curving floor that cleverly doubles as a surface for a generous dose of projections of Mr. Feiffer’s whimsically simple yet urbane drawings.

— neil genzlinger, New York Times, "Review: In ‘The Man in the Ceiling,’ Jules Feiffer Adapts Himself," 14 June 2017
But in reality, the launch ramps and halfpipes were part of a broader fascination that's been sweeping the fashion world for years: the creative and urbane skateboarder.

— sam blum, Esquire, "How Skateboarding Became a High-Fashion Obsession," 9 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'urbane.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

When Should You Use urbane?

City slickers and country folk have long debated whether life is better in town or in the wide open spaces, and urbane is a term that springs from the throes of that debate. The word traces back to Latin urbs, meaning "city," and in its earliest English uses urbane was synonymous with its close relative urban ("of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city"). Urbane developed its modern sense of savoir faire from the belief (no doubt fostered by city dwellers) that living in the city made one more suave and polished than did leading a rural life.

Origin and Etymology of urbane

Latin urbanus urban, urbane

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1623

See Words from the same year

urbane Synonyms

Synonyms

debonair, smooth, sophisticated, svelte, suave

Antonyms

boorish, churlish, classless, clownish, loutish, uncouth

Near Antonyms

awkward, clumsy, gauche, graceless, stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungraceful, wooden; callow, green, inexperienced, puerile, raw; hick, parochial, provincial, rough-hewn, rustic (also rustical); inelegant, philistine, uncivilized, uncultured, unrefined; unsophisticated, unworldly; gawky, lubberly, stodgy, ungainly; diffident, insecure

Synonym Discussion of urbane

suave, urbane, diplomatic, bland, smooth, politic mean pleasantly tactful and well-mannered. suave suggests a specific ability to deal with others easily and without friction.