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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of townsman
These were probably composed by Sebastian Lotzer, a townsman and furrier, on the basis of hundreds of complaints that different groups of peasants had been formulating for weeks beforehand.
—
Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
One cut scene, Good recalls, featured a townsman sacrificing himself with a homemade net bomb.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 21 Aug. 2025
Every year, villagers in Brittany gathered to have their sins forgiven, dance the gavotte, and watch the young townsmen wrestle after denouncing the devil.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
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
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
Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
One cut scene, Good recalls, featured a townsman sacrificing himself with a homemade net bomb.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 21 Aug. 2025
Every year, villagers in Brittany gathered to have their sins forgiven, dance the gavotte, and watch the young townsmen wrestle after denouncing the devil.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 11 July 2025
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for townsman
Noun
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The Islamists were seen as complicit in India’s worst plane hijack in 1999 and the 2008 attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul, which killed several Indian citizens, including two senior diplomats.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
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Around 60% of Iraq's nearly 46 million citizens are under the age of 30, a demographic that could determine whether the election reinvigorates a stagnant political system or deepens disillusionment.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Through Balaena tour guide Mel Sanchez’s translation of the villagers’ presentations, visitors learn about Emberá people’s role in training NASA astronauts.—
Kit Bernardi,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
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The hikers had been trapped at nearly 16,000 feet, according to a report in Jimu News, which added that local villagers and rescue teams had been deployed to clear the roads blocked by snow.—
Larissa Gao,
NBC news,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Townsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/townsman. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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