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
Titian was born Tiziano Vecellio in a small town in the Dolomite mountains, according to London’s The National Gallery and is said to have arrived in Venice at the age of 10.
—
Niha Masih, Washington Post, 4 July 2024
Founded in 1880 by English author Thomas Hughes, this Appalachian town comes with unexpected British Isle charm.
—Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 4 July 2024
An Israeli strike hit a school in Gaza City and the Civil Emergency Service said five Palestinians were killed and others wounded, while other Israeli strikes on Gaza City's old town on Thursday killed a woman and wounded several others, medics said.
—Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 4 July 2024
Oroville is about 20 miles south of Paradise, where the deadliest wildfire in California history killed 85 people and destroyed the Butte County town.
—Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for town 
Niha Masih, Washington Post, 4 July 2024
Founded in 1880 by English author Thomas Hughes, this Appalachian town comes with unexpected British Isle charm.
—Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 4 July 2024
An Israeli strike hit a school in Gaza City and the Civil Emergency Service said five Palestinians were killed and others wounded, while other Israeli strikes on Gaza City's old town on Thursday killed a woman and wounded several others, medics said.
—Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 4 July 2024
Oroville is about 20 miles south of Paradise, where the deadliest wildfire in California history killed 85 people and destroyed the Butte County town.
—Melody Gutierrez, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 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 7 Jul. 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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