as in citizen
a person who lives in a town on a permanent basis
thousands of townsmen turned out to vote on the school budget
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Recent Examples of townsman
According to respective Instagram posts from his show co-star Melissa Gilbert and son Clint Lilley, Lilley died Wednesday after a storied career as a Hollywood stuntman and actor, who played various roles on the beloved '70s historical drama, including a townsman and stagecoach driver.
—
Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
The townsmen feared his razor-sharp teeth, lightning speed, and quick temper.
—Maeve Dunigan, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Whereas most of the townsmen had a stronger right upper arm bone than the left—suggesting difficult physical labor—some men buried on the hospital grounds had symmetrical arm bones, and their skeletal remains suggested a relatively long and healthy life.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023
From the Wizard of Oz, the company sold two costume pieces that will now live at the Wizard of Oz Museum in Cape Canaveral, Florida: a prototype of the blue-and-white gingham dress Dorothy wore while visiting the Wizard for $125,000 and a jacket worn by a townsman in the Emerald City for $37,500.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2022
Mountaineers and townsmen of eastern Tennessee cam in hundreds to pack the auditorium.
—sandiegouniontribune.com, 11 July 2018
Our esteemed fellow-townsman Dr. Arnold is making a tour of Boise County on professional business.
—Arthur Hart, idahostatesman, 2 Mar. 2018
For decades after Jenkins-Davis' murder, there were no arrests in the case, and that created suspicion that Martinsville police were protecting a townsman.
—Will Higgins, Indianapolis Star, 2 Nov. 2017
As his friend Carl Foreman sought help, Cooper was less like Will Kane and more like the townsman who first offers to stand with the marshal but then, when no one else joins the effort, backs out.
—Douglass K. Daniel, Orange County Register, 16 Apr. 2017
Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
The townsmen feared his razor-sharp teeth, lightning speed, and quick temper.
—Maeve Dunigan, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
Whereas most of the townsmen had a stronger right upper arm bone than the left—suggesting difficult physical labor—some men buried on the hospital grounds had symmetrical arm bones, and their skeletal remains suggested a relatively long and healthy life.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023
From the Wizard of Oz, the company sold two costume pieces that will now live at the Wizard of Oz Museum in Cape Canaveral, Florida: a prototype of the blue-and-white gingham dress Dorothy wore while visiting the Wizard for $125,000 and a jacket worn by a townsman in the Emerald City for $37,500.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2022
Mountaineers and townsmen of eastern Tennessee cam in hundreds to pack the auditorium.
—sandiegouniontribune.com, 11 July 2018
Our esteemed fellow-townsman Dr. Arnold is making a tour of Boise County on professional business.
—Arthur Hart, idahostatesman, 2 Mar. 2018
For decades after Jenkins-Davis' murder, there were no arrests in the case, and that created suspicion that Martinsville police were protecting a townsman.
—Will Higgins, Indianapolis Star, 2 Nov. 2017
As his friend Carl Foreman sought help, Cooper was less like Will Kane and more like the townsman who first offers to stand with the marshal but then, when no one else joins the effort, backs out.
—Douglass K. Daniel, Orange County Register, 16 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for townsman
Noun
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Mamdani’s mother is a famous filmmaker Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian parents and became an American citizen in 2018, shortly after graduating college.—
Philip Marcelo,
Fortune,
25 June 2025
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Advertisement Some countries, including China, Denmark, and Finland, have issued travel advisories to their citizens about heading to the U.S. in response to various Trump policies.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
25 June 2025
Noun
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The whole series questions whether there’s a real creature or it’s invented by the villagers.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
25 June 2025
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Dragon boat racing was said to begin after villagers agitated the water and paddled to try to save him or prevent his body from being eaten by fish, according to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Townsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/townsman. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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