village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvi-lij 

often attributive

1

a

: a settlement usually larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town

b

: an incorporated minor municipality

2

: the residents of a village

3

: something (such as an aggregation of burrows or nests) suggesting a village

4

: a territorial area having the status of a village especially as a unit of local government

Synonyms of village

• hamlet

Examples of village in a Sentence

Entire villages come to see the parade.

we stayed in a charming bed-and-breakfast in a lakeside village

Recent Examples on the Web

As was true for most villages in Elizabethan England, eventually the bubonic plague comes calling. —Nathan Smith, Time, 26 Nov. 2025

Earlier in the day, officials said a Russian drone attack on the same village wounded an elderly woman. —Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025

Lowery says this would be impossible without her village. —Mecca Pryor, Essence, 26 Nov. 2025

Led by the warmth and enthusiasm of local students, the choir will make its way through the village, filling the streets with classic holiday music and the magic of children’s voices. —News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French vilage, from vil manorial estate, farmstead, from Latin villa

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing village

• global village
• inter-village
• Potemkin village

Rhymes for village

• millage
• pillage
• spillage

Kids Definition

village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvil-ij 

1

: a place somewhat smaller than a town

2

: the people living in a village