borough

[bur-oh, buhr-oh]

noun

1. (in certain states of the U.S.) an incorporated municipality smaller than a city.

2. one of the five administrative divisions of New York City.

3. British.

   1. an urban community incorporated by royal charter, similar to an incorporated city or municipality in the U.S.

   2. a town, area, or constituency represented by a Member of Parliament.

   3. (formerly) a fortified town organized as and having some of the powers of an independent country.

4. (in Alaska) an administrative division similar to a county in other states.

borough

/ ˈbʌrə /

noun

1. a town, esp (in Britain) one that forms the constituency of an MP or that was originally incorporated by royal charter See also burgh

2. any of the 32 constituent divisions that together with the City of London make up Greater London

3. any of the five constituent divisions of New York City

4. (in the US) a self-governing incorporated municipality

5. (in medieval England) a fortified town or village or a fort

6. (in New Zealand) a small municipality with a governing body

Word History and Origins

Origin of borough¹

before 900; Middle English burw ( e ), borwg ( h ), borogh, bor ( u ) g, bur ( u ) g, burgh town, Old English burg fortified town; cognate with Old Norse borg, Old Saxon, Dutch burg, German Burg castle, Gothic baurgs city; MIr brí, brig, Welsh, Breton bre hill, Avestan bərəz- height; akin to Armenian bardzr, Hittite parkus high. See barrow ².

Word History and Origins

Origin of borough¹

Old English burg ; related to beorgan to shelter, Old Norse borg wall, Gothic baurgs city, Old High German burg fortified castle

Example Sentences

Another site near borough hall now commemorates the first worldwide broadcasts by a local radio station in the 1920s and “the earliest transmissions of electronic television images.”

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Westminster City Council and HIllingdon Council are among those that have used legal powers to ban car meetings from parts of the boroughs.

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Nine of the 10 local authorities seeing the largest drops across the country are in London, it said, with the inner boroughs seeing the biggest change.

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The capital's Labour mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan had previously pledged to retain at least one 24-hour counter in each of the 32 boroughs.

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Councils across the county have until 26 September to submit plans to replace borough, district and county councils with new unitary authorities from 2028.

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Related Words

• district 
• precinct