city

noun

ˈsi-tē How to pronounce city (audio)
Definition of citynext
as in town
a thickly settled, highly populated area commuters who drive every day between their homes in the suburbs and their jobs in the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of city Bars in the Massachusetts city reported higher beer sales connected to the tournament. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 15 July 2026 Russian strikes on energy infrastructure left Kyiv and other major cities with hours of blackouts each day, and whole neighborhoods without heat during freezing temperatures. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 15 July 2026 To get around this, Eddington traveled to the island of Príncipe off Africa, while other researchers were sent to the Brazilian city of Sobral, to photograph stars near the sun’s location in the sky during a total eclipse. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026 City code enforcement staff requested on July 9 that the San Jose Appeals Hearing Board impose a $235,000 fine on Kaizen Lounge due to alleged violations of city rules. — George Avalos, Mercury News, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for city
Recent Examples of Synonyms for city
  1. town
  2. metropolis
  3. municipality
Noun
  • And waterfront towns like North Bay Village and Bay Harbor Islands that were once known as quiet working-class suburbs are getting facelifts with new ultra-luxury condo buildings.
    — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • Once the eclipse ends, this rugged headland becomes an excellent place to watch the Perseids, with broad ocean views and little interference from nearby towns.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of town
Noun
  • Copenhagen topped the Economist Intelligence Unit’s ranking of the world’s most livable cities for the second year in a row, though Chinese metropolises made the largest gains.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 8 July 2026
  • There’s always the temptation of an easy score, though, a con game suited to the great metropolis, captured here in Colson Whitehead’s signature deadpan.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of metropolis
Noun
  • In France, youth sports are heavily subsidized by local municipalities and community groups, substantially lowering the barrier for entry.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • Make sure to check local regulations because some municipalities offer rebates or support for stormwater management.
    — Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 July 2026
Definition of municipality

Phrases Containing city

Browse Nearby Words

citizens
city
city slicker
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“City.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/city. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on city

Nglish: Translation of city for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about city

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of raffish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All