borough

American  

[bur-oh, buhr-oh] / ˈbɜr oʊ, ˈbʌr oʊ /

noun

• boroughs
  plural

1. (in certain states of the U.S.) an incorporated municipality smaller than a city.

2. one of the five administrative divisions of New York City.

3. British.

   1. an urban community incorporated by royal charter, similar to an incorporated city or municipality in the U.S.

   2. a town, area, or constituency represented by a Member of Parliament.

   3. (formerly) a fortified town organized as and having some of the powers of an independent country.

4. (in Alaska) an administrative division similar to a county in other states.

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borough British  

/ ˈbʌrə /

noun

1. a town, esp (in Britain) one that forms the constituency of an MP or that was originally incorporated by royal charter See also burgh

2. any of the 32 constituent divisions that together with the City of London make up Greater London

3. any of the five constituent divisions of New York City

4. (in the US) a self-governing incorporated municipality

5. (in medieval England) a fortified town or village or a fort

6. (in New Zealand) a small municipality with a governing body

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• boroughs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of borough

before 900; Middle English burw ( e ), borwg ( h ), borogh, bor ( u ) g, bur ( u ) g, burgh town, Old English burg fortified town; cognate with Old Norse borg, Old Saxon, Dutch burg, German Burg castle, Gothic baurgs city; MIr brí, brig, Welsh, Breton bre hill, Avestan bərəz- height; akin to Armenian bardzr, Hittite parkus high. See barrow ².

Explanation

A borough is a town that has its own government. It also can be a part of a big city that has powers of self-government. Manhattan is just one of the five boroughs that make up New York City. When a borough is part of a big city, it represents a more formal division than just a neighborhood. It’s a separate town, often one that has its own government. When you move from one borough to another, you might notice different tax rates or different parking regulations. In England the word often refers to a town that has a representative in Parliament. Pronounce the second syllable in borough with a long “o” sound, like the donkey (burro).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

borough boroughs

"Our priorities as a council will always be focused on serving local people and bringing meaningful opportunities to the beautiful borough we call home," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

In the borough of Westminster, which has the highest rate of phone theft of any London borough, 672 phone thefts and robberies were recorded last month, the equivalent of around 21 a day.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

The pair met again in February in Washington, where the mayor pitched the president on a sweeping federally backed housing project in Trump’s home borough of Queens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

He told me how he saw the city lights going out borough by borough at the time it happened, just before 10 p.m.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

He was going to run for Assemblyman from Queens, his home borough, next Election.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Tens of thousands of runners fill the streets with spectators cheering them on in each of the city’s boroughs during the annual New York City Marathon, taking place on Nov. 1.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

The scheme, which runs in five boroughs, will expand to 10 boroughs.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Counties in this category include the five boroughs of New York, as well as Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

Other boroughs, including Kensington and Chelsea—where Harrods is located—said they were unable to provide similar data to Westminster.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

I even told her about all the different boroughs.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Related Words

• district
• precinct