village

¹

[vil-ij]

noun

1. a small community or group of houses in a rural area, larger than a hamlet and usually smaller than a town, and sometimes (as in parts of the U.S.) incorporated as a municipality.

2. the inhabitants of such a community collectively.

3. a group of animal dwellings resembling a village.

   a gopher village.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a village.

   village life.

Village

²

[vil-ij]

noun

1. The, a city in central Oklahoma.

village

/ ˈvɪlɪdʒ /

noun

1. a small group of houses in a country area, larger than a hamlet

2. the inhabitants of such a community collectively

3. an incorporated municipality smaller than a town in various parts of the US and Canada

4. a group of habitats of certain animals

5. a self-contained city area having its own shops, etc

6. (modifier) of, relating to, or characteristic of a village

   a village green

Other Word Forms

• villageless adjective
• villagey adjective
• villagy adjective
• intervillage adjective
• village-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of village¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin villāticum, neuter of villāticus villatic

Word History and Origins

Origin of village¹

C15: from Old French, from ville farm, from Latin: _villa

Synonym Study

See community.

Example Sentences

Mohammed was arrested in a raid on his family's holiday home in the Palestinian village of al-Mazraa al-Sharqiya in the middle of the night by Israeli soldiers.

Read more on BBC

These oddballs have little in common besides their defiance of village norms and their families’ mutual disapproval.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He also visited Youth Shedz in the village of Mochdre, which creates a safe space for young people who might be experiencing challenges such as school exclusion, bullying and homelessness.

Read more on BBC

Millions of migrant workers left behind villages for assembly lines on the coast.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But Boko Haram has since splintered and been largely confined to the Muslim-dominated villages of the far northeast, where few Christians remain.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• center 
• suburb