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

After losing their livelihood in a village, a Kosovar family is forced to move to the capital in pursuit of a place in a hypercapitalist society. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Dec. 2025

Snow emergencies in Michigan are parking restrictions issued by cities and villages so that snowplows can clear snow from streets and public areas. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025

Santa Barbara, Newport Beach and the Long Island, New York, village of Sagaponack rounded out the top five. —Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 10 Dec. 2025

The resort's adorable village also gets plenty of screen time. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 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