town

town · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A built-up area with a name and defined boundaries, larger than a village but smaller than a city.

  2. 2.

    The central business or commercial area of a town or city.

  3. 3.

    The people living in a particular town.

  4. 4.

    Urban areas as opposed to rural.

Forms

plural: towns

Related words

Antonyms: countryside, rural area
See also: city, urban, village
Synonyms: borough, municipality, settlement

Etymology

From Old English "tun" meaning "enclosed piece of ground, homestead, village, manor," from Proto-Germanic "*tunaz" (enclosed place). Originally referred to an enclosed area or settlement, the meaning gradually expanded to denote larger communities.