inner city

American  

[in-er sit-ee] / ˈɪn ər ˈsɪt i /

noun

• inner cities
  plural

1. an older part of a city, densely populated and usually deteriorating, inhabited mainly by poor, often minority, groups.

   Struggling schools in the inner city face substantial challenges to prepare students for college.

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adjective

1. of or relating to such a section within a city: low-income residents in inner-city neighborhoods.

   after-school programs for inner-city youth;

   low-income residents in inner-city neighborhoods.

inner city British  

noun

1. 1. the parts of a city in or near its centre, esp when they are associated with poverty, unemployment, substandard housing, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      inner-city schools

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inner city Cultural  

1. A general term for impoverished areas of large cities. The inner city is characterized by minimal educational opportunities, high unemployment and crime rates, broken families, and inadequate housing. (See ghettos.)

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• inner cities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of inner city

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inner city

Another $2,000 is listed for Cornerstone Schools that year “to assist the inner city schools in Uganda,” which is what Cornerstone Schools does in Detroit and Cornerstone Development does not do in Uganda’s inner-city schools.

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026

“I was in the inner city, I’m not going to shy away from that,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

Handsworth and other inner city areas have been worst affected in recent years by a lack of investment, Mr Connell says, "disproportionately hitting the areas which already had problems around poverty and housing stock".

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2025

Recruiting players from inner city Los Angeles used to be a priority for USC and UCLA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2025

We were not prepared for the inner city.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

Related Words

• central city
• downtown
• slum