variants
or less commonly towny
plural townies
informal
: a native or resident of a town
especially
: a permanent inhabitant of a town as distinguished from a member of another group (such as the academic community)
Every Yooper I've ever met was an uncommonly unique character – a real salt-of-the-earth townie skilled at mechanics, deer hunting, and/or ice fishing. —
Kelly O
Kelly O … a question every intelligent and ambitious townie one day must confront: should I stay or leave? —Ben Yagoda
—often used before another noun Ben Yagoda This old school townie bar is located just off of Main Street on the outskirts of town … and it's the sort of place that I'd imagine has a regular clientele of locals who drop by on a daily basis for a shot and a beer. —Lori Fredrich
Lori Fredrich 
Examples of townie in a Sentence
fights between townies and college kids
the townies are dismayed that all the venerable manses around the village green are being bought as vacation homes by rich interlopers
Recent Examples on the Web
With Richard Gere 45 Years After ‘American Gigolo’ – Cannes
The 1982 pic starred Richard Gere, Debra Winger and Louis Gossett Jr. and follows a loner who sets out to finish his Navy Officer training while dealing with a tough-as-nails drill sergeant while also finding love with a local townie.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 14 June 2024
Dine & spa Subsequent newcomers include The Kiosk, a café that pulls in townies with an unbeatable beachfront location where diners tuck into egg-and-bacon rolls, acai bowls, and perfectly textured flat whites at picnic tables under nautical parasols.
—Chloe Sachdev, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2024
Hamaguchi portrays the tension between the townies, especially outdoorsman Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) and his grade-school daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa), and the visiting urban sharpies.
—Armond White, National Review, 8 May 2024
Where to watch Magic Mike: Tubi 4. Dazed and Confused (1993)
Director Richard Linklater feared that McConaughey was too good-looking for the creepy townie who refused to grow up, but the tiny role bloomed into something special when the 22-year-old no-name stepped on the set.
—Jeff Labrecque, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2024
Customers at the gas station mart still talk about how townies would fish in the Gulf on warm days, and the women who work alongside Smith tell old stories about people who are long gone.
—Nidhi Sharma, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
Nothing made Harvard’s contempt for townies clearer than the Fogg’s $20-a-head admission tab.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 14 Dec. 2023
Production designer Craig Lathrop, a Robert Eggers regular, recreates the merciless grimness of winter in New England among its malcontent townies.
—Bonnie Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Mills stood at the pulpit and described her transition from Yale-resenting townie to union organizer.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 14 June 2024
Dine & spa Subsequent newcomers include The Kiosk, a café that pulls in townies with an unbeatable beachfront location where diners tuck into egg-and-bacon rolls, acai bowls, and perfectly textured flat whites at picnic tables under nautical parasols.
—Chloe Sachdev, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2024
Hamaguchi portrays the tension between the townies, especially outdoorsman Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) and his grade-school daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa), and the visiting urban sharpies.
—Armond White, National Review, 8 May 2024
Where to watch Magic Mike: Tubi 4. Dazed and Confused (1993)
Director Richard Linklater feared that McConaughey was too good-looking for the creepy townie who refused to grow up, but the tiny role bloomed into something special when the 22-year-old no-name stepped on the set.
—Jeff Labrecque, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2024
Customers at the gas station mart still talk about how townies would fish in the Gulf on warm days, and the women who work alongside Smith tell old stories about people who are long gone.
—Nidhi Sharma, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2024
Nothing made Harvard’s contempt for townies clearer than the Fogg’s $20-a-head admission tab.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 14 Dec. 2023
Production designer Craig Lathrop, a Robert Eggers regular, recreates the merciless grimness of winter in New England among its malcontent townies.
—Bonnie Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Mills stood at the pulpit and described her transition from Yale-resenting townie to union organizer.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'townie.' 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 townie
Cite this Entry
“Townie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/townie. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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