suburb

noun

sub·​urb ˈsə-ˌbərb 

1

a

: an outlying part of a city or town

b

: a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a city

c

suburbs plural : the residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town

2

suburbs plural : the near vicinity : environs

suburban

sə-ˈbər-bən 

adjective or noun

suburbanite

sə-ˈbər-bə-ˌnīt 

noun

Did you know?

The Suburbs vs. the Urbs

Given that most of the common words in our language beginning sub- tend to have meanings concerned with “beneath” (as in subterranean and submarine) or “less than” (as with subpar), you would be forgiven for assuming that the suburbs were so named because of their location below, or their status as less than, their urban counterparts. Not so, however: sub- may have other meanings at the beginning of a word; in this case, it indicates not depth or inferiority, but proximity. In other words, the suburbs are a region close to the urbs.

Is urbs an English word? Yes; it is rarely used, but it refers typically to a city, particularly when distinguished from a suburb.

Examples of suburb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kylian Mbappe emerged from the northeastern suburb of Bondy, where his France team-mates William Saliba and Randal Kolo Muani were also born. — Gregg Evans, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

One example was a property management contract the company landed, covering 34 rental properties in one suburb. — Alison Coleman, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Andrey Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow Region, said that at least three people were injured -- among them a 10-year-old girl -- amid the drone attacks, two in the southeastern suburbs of the city and one to the northeast of the city center. — David Brennan, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

The family enjoyed trips to Cape Cod and spending time together at their home in Duxbury, an affluent suburb located 20 miles outside Boston. — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English suburbe, from Anglo-French, from Latin suburbium, from sub- near + urbs city — more at sub-

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

suburb

noun

sub·​urb ˈsəb-ˌərb 

1

a

: a part of a city or town near its outer edge

b

: a smaller community close to a city

2

plural : the area of homes close to or surrounding a city

suburban

sə-ˈbər-bən 

adjective or noun

Etymology

Middle English suburb "part around the outer edge of a city," from early French (same meaning), from Latin suburbium (same meaning), from sub "under, close to" and urbs "city"