city
noun
a large or important town.
city
American
[sit-ee]
/ ˈsɪt i /
noun
-
cities
plural
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a large or important town.
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(in the U.S.) an incorporated municipality, usually governed by a mayor and a board of aldermen or councilmen.
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the inhabitants of a city collectively.
The entire city is mourning his death.
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(in Canada) a municipality of high rank, usually based on population.
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(in Great Britain) a borough, usually the seat of a bishop, upon which the dignity of the title has been conferred by the crown.
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the City,
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the major metropolitan center of a region; downtown.
I'm going to the City to buy clothes and see a show.
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the commercial and financial area of London, England.
-
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a city-state.
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(often initial capital letter) a place, person, or situation having certain features or characteristics (used in combination).
The party last night was Action City. That guy is dull city.
city
1
British
/ ˈsɪtɪ /
noun
-
any large town or populous place
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(in Britain) a large town that has received this title from the Crown: usually the seat of a bishop
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(in the US) an incorporated urban centre with its own government and administration established by state charter
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(in Canada) a similar urban municipality incorporated by the provincial government
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an ancient Greek city-state; polis
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the people of a city collectively
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(modifier) in or characteristic of a city
a city girl
city habits
City
2
British
/ ˈsɪtɪ /
noun
-
short for City of London : the original settlement of London on the N bank of the Thames; a municipality governed by the Lord Mayor and Corporation. Resident pop: 7186 (2001)
-
the area in central London in which the United Kingdom's major financial business is transacted
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the various financial institutions located in this area
Usage
What is a basic definition of city? A city is a place where a large number of people live. The word city is also used to refer to all of the people who live in this kind of place or to something that is related to such a place. The word city has more specific meanings, depending on the country. The plural of city is cities. Generally speaking, a city is a place where a large number of people are gathered together to live and/or work. Cities are typically much larger than places referred to as towns and are known for having homes and apartments placed more closely together than in other places. Different countries have specific definitions of what actually qualifies as a city, but the word is often used generally to describe a place where many people live. Real-life examples: New York City, Tokyo, Paris, London, Moscow, Beijing, Madrid, and Berlin are examples of major cities around the world. Used in a sentence: I grew up in the city of Philadelphia. Playing off of this, the word city is also used to collectively refer to all of the people who live in a city. Real-life examples: A mayor will often give speeches to the city, meaning the people who live there. A parade or festival will also be organized by a city, meaning the city’s government or the citizens of a city. Used in a sentence: The city celebrated New Year’s Eve with a big parade. The word city is also used to describe something that is related to or has the quality of a city. Real-life examples: A city library is a library located in and run by a city. A city bus is a bus owned and operated by a city. A city person is someone who grew up in a city or prefers the life of a city. Used in a sentence: My dad really hates city traffic.
Synonym Usage
See community.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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minicitynoun
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outcitynoun
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subcitynoun
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citylessadjective
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citylikeadjective
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intercityadjective
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procityadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of city
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English cite, from Anglo-French, Old French cite(t), from Latin cīvitāt-, stem of cīvitās “citizenry, town,” from cīvi(s) “citizen” ( cf. civil ( def. )) + -tās -ty 2
Explanation
A city is an area in which a large number of people live fairly close together. Cities usually have their own separate governments and systems for maintaining and providing utilities and transportation. A city is basically a big town — the population is large in relation to the amount of land, since people often live in apartments or multi-family housing. The largest city in the world today is Shanghai, China. You can also call the residents of a city as a whole a city: "The city voted to increase recycling." City comes from the Latin civitatem, "citizenship," or "community of citizens," from the root civis, "citizen."
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:
Soni said he always declines, wary of running afoul of city rules but also because he prefers the security of operating through the Airbnb platform.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
"We've definitely helped nurture nightlife within the city."
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
As of June, more than 3,500 hosts were registered with the city for short-term rentals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
“We’ve been cognizant of what can happen in the coastal city with canyons and Santa Ana winds,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Being a city slicker, he’d no doubt turn tail and beat it back to Terre Haute when we started bleeding out the first hog.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
New York City three years ago enacted one of the country’s strictest crackdowns on short-term rentals, which reduced the number of listings across the five boroughs by more than 90%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
The Wall Street Journal spoke with several New York City homeowners who continue to host Airbnb guests about their experiences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
The City Council has received and accepted multiple annual reports from LA28, raising a few questions but no major objections.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Mejia’s subpoena, issued under his City Charter authority, came two and a half weeks after officials at LA28, the Olympic organizing committee, rejected his previous request to disclose the information.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The more time Maggie spent in New York City among Spiritualists, the more likely it was that she’d quit her studies and fall back into mediumship.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Waymo driverless taxis buzz around cities like San Francisco and Phoenix.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
L.A. is one of the most expensive cities in the country, so a key question in the race for mayor is which candidate can make living here a bit cheaper.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Protesters and anti-riot police have clashed in Albania's main cities in scenes not witnessed for decades.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The city-state topped IQAir's live ranking of the world's most polluted major cities again early Friday, with Jakarta second and Kuala Lumpur fifth.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
They showed up in other southern German cities as well.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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