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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.

Domestic service was the largest urban occupation at midcentury, dominated by Irish immigrant women who received room and board and could save significant amounts.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Nursey album is also a stunning testament to the urban transformation of Bombay.

From BBC

Moreover, there is substantial income variation between urban vs. rural seniors, and between those in coastal megacities and those in hinterland counties.

From Barron's

The centuries-old technique is a feature of Hong Kong’s urban landscape that the government has been moving to phase out because of its flammable nature.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places in the world, making urban disasters a significant risk.

From Barron's