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township

American  
[toun-ship] / ˈtaʊn ʃɪp /

noun

  1. a unit of local government, usually a subdivision of a county, found in most midwestern and northeastern states of the U.S. and in most Canadian provinces.

  2. (in U.S. surveys of public land) a region or district approximately 6 miles square (93.2 sq. km), containing 36 sections.

  3. English History.

    1. one of the local divisions or districts of a large parish, each containing a village or small town, usually with a church of its own.

    2. the manor, parish, etc., itself.

    3. its inhabitants.

  4. (in Australia)

    1. a small town or settlement serving as the business center of a rural area.

    2. the business center of a town or suburb.

  5. (formerly, in South Africa) a segregated residential settlement for Black people, located outside a city or town.


township British  
/ ˈtaʊnʃɪp /

noun

  1. a small town

  2. (in the Scottish Highlands and islands) a small crofting community

  3. (in the US and Canada) a territorial area, esp a subdivision of a county: often organized as a unit of local government

  4. (formerly, in South Africa) a planned urban settlement of Black Africans or Coloured people Compare location

  5. English history

    1. any of the local districts of a large parish, each division containing a village or small town

    2. the particular manor or parish itself as a territorial division

    3. the inhabitants of a township collectively

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of township

First recorded before 900; Middle English tounship “community,” Old English tūnscipe “village community”; town, -ship

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.

Around one-fifth of the country's 330 townships, including the cities of Yangon and Mandalay, voted in the last stage.

From BBC

On Sunday, the government of Uttar Pradesh state, where Noida is located, removed a senior official from the township's governing authority and ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the rescue operation and site safety.

From BBC

He also got a haircut at a barbers in a township in the capital, Lusaka - to the delight of thousands of people who flocked there as news spread on social media.

From BBC

The winners of six more townships have yet to be announced in the first phase of voting.

From Barron's

The winners of six townships have yet to be announced in the first phase of voting.

From Barron's