urbanity

noun

ur·​ban·​i·​ty ˌər-ˈba-nə-tē How to pronounce urbanity (audio)
plural urbanities
1
: the quality or state of being urbane
2
urbanities plural : urbane acts or conduct

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web To followers of society columns and fashion magazines, Lee Radziwill is the very model of international urbanity—perfectly coiffed and outfitted in Giorgio Armani (for whom the native New Yorker once served as director of special events) and Marc Jacobs. ELLE Decor, 22 Dec. 2022 Destry’s actions create the conditions for the next two sections, in which Sask-E goes from a Pleistocene-like ecology bare of any humans to a dense urbanity full of landlords and renters of multiple species. Amal El-mohtar, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2023 But in the distance, as in Mayakoba, construction whirrs, anticipating the next batch of newcomers ready to trade pandemic mundanity and general urbanity for gated bliss. Sheila Marikar, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2021 Hawley reframes: science and urbanity vs. intuition, emotion and nostalgia. Dallas News, 18 Jan. 2022 Launched in 2018 by Nigerian designer Idris Balogun, Winnie New York draws inspiration from both the Big Apple’s urbanity and the polish of London’s Savile Row. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2022 Waldron was the epitome of style and urbanity in jazz, from his pendulous brown cigarette dangling from his fingers to his signature coifed natural Black hair that grew into a stately white. Shannon J. Effinger, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2022 El Santo’s menu reflects the urbanity of Mexico City. Susan Dunne, Hartford Courant, 7 May 2022 The chef says he was lured to the Watermark by the promise of creative control and the opportunity to bring some urbanity to the suburbs. Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'urbanity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of urbanity was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near urbanity

Cite this Entry

“Urbanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urbanity. Accessed 3 Jun. 2023.

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