town
noun
a thickly populated area, usually smaller than a city and larger than a village, having fixed boundaries and certain local powers of government.
town
1 American
[toun]
/ taʊn /
noun
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towns
plural
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a thickly populated area, usually smaller than a city and larger than a village, having fixed boundaries and certain local powers of government.
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a densely populated area of considerable size, as a city or borough.
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(especially in New England) a municipal corporation with less elaborate organization and powers than a city.
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(in most U.S. states except those of New England) a township.
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any urban area, as contrasted with its surrounding countryside.
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the inhabitants of a town; townspeople; citizenry.
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the particular town or city in mind or referred to.
living on the outskirts of town; to be out of town.
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a nearby or neighboring city; the chief town or city in a district.
I am staying at a friend's apartment in town.
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the main business or shopping area in a town or city; downtown.
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British.
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a village or hamlet in which a periodic market or fair is held.
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any village or hamlet.
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Scot. a farmstead.
adjective
idioms
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go to town,
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to be successful.
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to do well, efficiently, or speedily.
The engineers really went to town on those plans.
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to lose restraint or inhibition; overindulge.
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paint the town. paint.
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on the town,
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Informal. in quest of entertainment in a city's nightclubs, bars, etc.; out to have a good time.
a bunch of college kids out on the town.
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supported by the public charity of the state or community; on relief.
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Town
2
American
[toun]
/ taʊn /
noun
town
British
/ taʊn /
noun
-
-
a densely populated urban area, typically smaller than a city and larger than a village, having some local powers of government and a fixed boundary
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( as modifier )
town life
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a city, borough, or other urban area
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(in the US) a territorial unit of local government that is smaller than a county; township
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the nearest town or commercial district
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London or the chief city of an area
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the inhabitants of a town
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the permanent residents of a university town as opposed to the university staff and students Compare gown
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to make a supreme or unrestricted effort; go all out
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informal to lose one's temper
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seeking out entertainments and amusements
town
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
See community.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of town
First recorded before 900; Middle English toun, tun, Old English tūn “walled or fenced place, courtyard, farmstead, village”; cognate with Old Norse tūn “homefield,” German Zaun “fence”; akin to Old Irish dún “citadel, fortress” ( see down 3 ( def. ))
Explanation
A town is an area where people live that's bigger than a village and smaller than a city. A town has a specific boundary, a name, and (usually) its own government. A town is essentially a small city. It's got a smaller population and usually has fewer big apartment buildings and more single-family homes. When something or someone is in town, they are visiting your town: "I'm so excited that the circus is in town!" And if you go out on the town, you take advantage of the nightlife in a town or city.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Four years after he founded Amazon, Bezos and his wife at the time, MacKenzie Scott, paid $10 million for two homes that sit on a 5-acre plot in the town of Hunts Point.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Across town, Fargo is a well-known figure at Fargo Village, the creative hub after which he is named.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
These days in Pozos de Gamboa, a Zacatecas town of 5,000 that is known for growing beans, people are terrified.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Across town, Mayor Nate George had just rolled out of bed and hadn’t yet had his coffee when the call came.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
The plaster head remains in Boston, but Phineas and his tamping iron soon slip out of town.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
“My favorite part about Tail Town is the different cat personalities, and when the cats get adopted,” said volunteer Darlene Zobel, petting a white and brown tabby, Hana, on her lap.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Tail Town works with Kitten Rescue Los Angeles to home adoptable cats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Ipswich Town return to the Premier League this season after they were relegated at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
While at Stocksbridge Park Steels, he played against Jamie Vardy, then at Halifax Town, before Vardy went on to play for England and win the Premier League with Leicester City in 2015-2016.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
Now in James Town they were all in combustion, the strongest preparing once more to run away with the pinnace for England.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
The Gloucestershire district, which lies between the River Severn and the Welsh border, has long been known for its ancient woodlands, market towns and rural communities.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Furious residents packing city-council meetings have become a familiar scene as proposals for data centers spark backlash in towns across America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
In some towns, they just didn’t believe the urgent instructions to clear out — they had no idea they were in a flood path.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
The insects have made our towns and cities their homes.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
Like many other towns and villages in the old days, this one was surrounded by walls as protection against enemies.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
