1
a
: a compactly settled area usually larger than a village but smaller than a city
b
: a compactly settled area as distinguished from surrounding rural territory
c
: a large densely populated urban area : city
d
: an English village having a periodic fair or market
2
: a particular town or city under consideration
the circus came to town
3
: the city or urban life as contrasted with the country
4
a
: the inhabitants of a city or town
practically the whole town turned out for the parade
b
: the townspeople of a college or university town as distinct from the academic community
relations between town and gown
5
: a New England territorial and political unit usually containing under a single town government both rural areas and urban areas not having their own charter of incorporation
also
: a New England community governed by a town meeting
6
dialectal, England
: a cluster or aggregation of houses recognized as a distinct place with a place-name : hamlet
7
: a group of prairie dog burrows
town
adjective
see also:
Examples of town in a Sentence
the town of Jackson, Florida
The nearest shopping mall is two towns away.
The town plans to increase property taxes.
We're heading to town later on.
Recent Examples on the Web
How in the world had my mother, a young Black woman and the eldest of four, raised by two parents who had never finished high school in a segregated town in southwestern Louisiana, spent a summer in Europe in the 1960s?
—
Shayla Martin, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2026
This year, people still came to town for spring break.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
The restaurant became a minor sensation—the titular dish is terrific, silken and subtle and rich, but what most stood out was a rotating lineup of specials, mostly hawker-style Malaysian fare, particularly the food of Klang, his parents’ home town, on Malaysia’s western coast.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
The Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that deputies are investigating an incident involving a vehicle that struck pedestrians during a parade in New Iberia, a small Cajun town in southern Louisiana, about 30 minutes from Lafayette.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for town
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Shayla Martin, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2026
This year, people still came to town for spring break.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
The restaurant became a minor sensation—the titular dish is terrific, silken and subtle and rich, but what most stood out was a rotating lineup of specials, mostly hawker-style Malaysian fare, particularly the food of Klang, his parents’ home town, on Malaysia’s western coast.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
The Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that deputies are investigating an incident involving a vehicle that struck pedestrians during a parade in New Iberia, a small Cajun town in southern Louisiana, about 30 minutes from Lafayette.
—Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for town
Cite this Entry
“Town.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/town. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
town
noun1
a
: a compactly settled area that is usually larger than a village but smaller than a city
b
2
: the people of a town
town
adjective
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