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
Synonyms
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
The soles are both lightweight and cloudlike, forming to your foot and providing pillowy comfort for all-day wear or running errands around town.
—
Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024
Commuter towns will grow in locations in which housing and childcare is affordable and plentiful, which are safe from climate change, and increasingly, within a reachable radius of HQ.
—Julia Hobsbawm, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for town 
Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 22 Apr. 2024
Commuter towns will grow in locations in which housing and childcare is affordable and plentiful, which are safe from climate change, and increasingly, within a reachable radius of HQ.
—Julia Hobsbawm, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for town
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'town.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near town
Cite this Entry
“Town.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/town. Accessed 5 May. 2024.
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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