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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Established in 1917 during World War I, suspended in 1975, and reinstated in 1980, the draft requires men—citizens and immigrants alike—to register under penalty of $250,000 and jail time of up to five years.—
John Whitehead,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
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Those countries too are looking to make sure that a deal of this nature would not harm its citizens.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Benue has been a hot spot for armed violence in Nigeria's northern region where armed gangs often target remote villagers and travelers with violent killings and kidnapping for ransom.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Environmental authorities in Colombia say the mammals pose a threat to villagers who have encountered them in farms and rivers.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Townsman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/townsman. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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