township

noun

town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship How to pronounce township (audio)
1
b
: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states usually having a chief administrative officer or board
c
: an unorganized subdivision of the county in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont
d
: an electoral and administrative district of the county in the southern U.S.
2
: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 sections or 36 square miles
3
: an area in the Republic of South Africa that was segregated under apartheid for occupation by persons of non-European descent
4
: an ancient unit of administration in England identical in area with or a division of a parish

Examples of township in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The recreational marijuana business is booming, and cities and townships that ban sales within their boundaries are forgoing economic benefits like jobs and sales tax revenue. Sam Allard, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024 Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell and Anne O’Connor, a stand-in Thursday evening for the election board chair, voted in favor of the additional hours at the township sites. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Oct. 2024 Trump won about 54% of the vote in Rock River Township in 2020 while President Joe Biden won about 45% of the vote in the township, according to election results on Alger County's website. Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024 The projects have been in the works for almost two years, starting when Wawa first proposed the Colerain Avenue development to the township in November 2022. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for township 

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler
The first known use of township was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near township

Cite this Entry

“Township.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/township. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

township

noun
town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship How to pronounce township (audio)
1
: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states
2
: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 square miles (about 93 square kilometers)

More from Merriam-Webster on township

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!