village

noun, often attributive vil·lage \ ˈvi-lij \

Definition of village

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

See village defined for English-language learners

See village defined for kids

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 of village from the Web

The country — with stunning mountain passes, rippling Buddhist prayer flags and ancient temples — was until recently a monarchy, its villages isolated from much of the world for most of the past century.

— annie gowen, Washington Post, "As China-India feud ebbs, tiny Bhutan reexamines its place in the world," 29 Aug. 2017
The groundbreaking will take place at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and will feature remarks by representatives from the village, the brewery and the project team.

— shauna steigerwald, Cincinnati.com, "New $3 million Wiedemann Brewery to break ground in St. Bernard," 29 Aug. 2017
The train stopped right in front of my hotel, in the picturesque, historic town of Rougemont, an unspoiled village famous for its many-centuries-old chalets.

— joanne dibona, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Lake Geneva a Swiss paradise," 25 Aug. 2017
Another 71 people were killed in Assam as rivers breached their banks and entered low-lying villages.

— nirmala george, The Seattle Times, "At least 950 killed in South Asia’s annual monsoon floods," 24 Aug. 2017
A firefighter tackles a wildfire close to the village of Pucarica in Abrantes on August 10, 2017.

— alan taylor, The Atlantic, "Photos of the Week: 8/5–8/11," 11 Aug. 2017
Trains link some villages, but stations are likely to be in a valley a few miles from the town center.

— rick steves, miamiherald, "Tuscany for beginners," 11 Aug. 2017
The actors filmed in a studio, and a green screen was used to turn their backdrop into the Suffolk village.

— leanna commins, Cosmopolitan, "You Can Now Buy the House Where Voldemort Killed Harry Potter's Parents, If You're So Inclined," 9 Aug. 2017
That’s what drew Judia Black, a marketing professional from New York, to the village over a decade ago.

— hannah seligson, Town & Country, "Why Sag Harbor Is No Longer the Hamptons' Best-Kept Secret," 4 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of village

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

village Synonyms

Synonyms

bourg, hamlet, townlet, vill, whistle-stop

Related Words

cow town, Podunk; outpost

VILLAGE Defined for English Language Learners

village

noun

Definition of village for English Language Learners

: a small town in the country
: the people who live in a village

VILLAGE Defined for Kids

village

noun vil·lage \ ˈvi-lij \

Definition of village for Students

1 :a place where people live that is usually smaller than a town

2 :the people living in a village

The entire village turned out for the parade.

Learn More about village

See words that rhyme with village Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for village Spanish Central: Translation of village Nglish: Translation of village for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of village for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about village

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up village? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

village

Definition of village

Examples of village in a Sentence

Recent Examples of village from the Web

Origin and Etymology of village

village Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

VILLAGE Defined for English Language Learners

village

Definition of village for English Language Learners

VILLAGE Defined for Kids

village

Definition of village for Students

Learn More about village

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

malign

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

The History of the Word 'Terrorism'

'Regimen' vs. 'Regiment'

'Spox' May Go On The Record

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Forms of Government Quiz

Original Meanings Quiz

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Word Winder's CrossWinder

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

Trending: McCain: Half-Baked, 'Spurious' Nationalism

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066

village

Definition of village

People Are Reading

Examples of village in a Sentence

Recent Examples of village from the Web

Origin and Etymology of village

village Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

VILLAGE Defined for English Language Learners

village

Definition of village for English Language Learners

VILLAGE Defined for Kids

village

Definition of village for Students

Learn More about village

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

Trending: McCain: Half-Baked, 'Spurious' Nationalism

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066