urban
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or designating a city or town.
densely populated urban areas.
-
living, located, or taking place in a city.
urban rooftop gardening.
-
characteristic of or accustomed to cities; citified.
He’s an urban type—I can’t picture him enjoying a whole week at our cabin in the woods.
-
of or relating to the experience, lifestyle, or culture of African Americans living in economically depressed inner-city neighborhoods.
Their first album had a hard, urban vibe.
-
Offensive. (used as a euphemism for Black or African American, rather than in reference to cities or their residents).
a drug problem that particularly impacts the urban residents in this small town.
adjective
-
of, relating to, or constituting a city or town
-
living in a city or town
-
(of music) emerging and developing in densely populated areas of large cities, esp those populated by people of African or Caribbean origin Compare rural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of urban
First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin urbānus, equivalent to urb- (stem of urbs ) “city” + -ānus adjective suffix; see -an
Explanation
Use the adjective urban to refer to cities or people who live in cities. It carries a suggestion of grittiness––urban style involves darker colors. The terms city and town are sometimes used inconsistently. If it is large enough, a town is considered to be an urban area. Communities where people live outside cities are called suburban. Urban is from a Latin adjective formed from urbs "city."
Vocabulary lists containing urban
Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
East Asia - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
East Asia - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
At the time, the Urban Community Initiative Pilot had been launched by the European Union.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
A May 20 report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development offered regulatory guidelines for local governments to promote construction—among them, remove restrictions to unlock available land.
From Barron's • May 31, 2026
Department of Housing and Urban Development; and the city of Los Angeles accounts for 10% of the state’s population and one-fourth of its homeless.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
She later moved to New York and worked at the nonprofit Urban Glass in Brooklyn.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
Fuller was prepared to shake up the city, to overthrow the status quo—but the Urban League took a more methodical, “go slow” approach.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
