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Synonyms

urban

American  
[ur-buhn] / ˈɜr bən /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or designating a city or town.

    densely populated urban areas.

  2. living, located, or taking place in a city.

    urban rooftop gardening.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.


urban British  
/ ˈɜːbən /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or constituting a city or town

  2. living in a city or town

  3. (of music) emerging and developing in densely populated areas of large cities, esp those populated by people of African or Caribbean origin Compare rural

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • antiurban adjective
  • nonurban adjective
  • semiurban adjective
  • unurban adjective

Etymology

Origin of urban

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin urbānus, equivalent to urb- (stem of urbs ) “city” + -ānus adjective suffix; -an

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.

Hazardous materials and urban search and rescue teams also responded to the scene, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

He covers a range of topics including urban crime, small-town life, national politics, economic development and infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Operation Metro Surge” was supposed to be Bovino’s most ambitious mission yet, a new kind of urban takeover by federal law enforcement.

From The Wall Street Journal

It may sound like an urban myth, but there's real science behind it.

From BBC

The veterinary field is facing many of the same challenges as human healthcare, such as hospital shortages in rural and even some urban areas.

From The Wall Street Journal