township

[toun-ship]

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of township¹

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

Example Sentences

The military attacked on Monday evening as around 100 people gathered in Chaung U township in central Myanmar for a national holiday.

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The couple sought refuge on the second floor of their shop in Guangfu township, trying to save as many books as possible.

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She sometimes takes Sophia for walks around their neighbourhood in Alexandra, a township near Johannesburg's northern suburbs, but the traffic and people staring make her uncomfortable.

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She was "far more than an actress" but also a teacher and guide who "broke barriers" and "inspired young actors in villages and townships to dream beyond their circumstances".

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The following year saw a township in Xinjiang, northwestern China, logging 52.5C - the highest recorded temperature in China.

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Related Words

• area 
• colony 
• country 
• district 
• enclave 
• field 
• land 
• nation 
• neighborhood 
• province 
• sector 
• state 
• street 
• terrain 
• zone