borough

[ bur-oh, buhr-oh ]

/ ˈbɜr oʊ, ˈbʌr oʊ /

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noun

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

one of the five administrative divisions of New York City.

British.

an urban community incorporated by royal charter, similar to an incorporated city or municipality in the U.S.
a town, area, or constituency represented by a Member of Parliament.
(formerly) a fortified town organized as and having some of the powers of an independent country.

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of borough

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 barrow².

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH borough

borough , burro, burrow

Words nearby borough

boron nitride, borosilicate, borosilicate glass, borosilicic acid, Borotra, borough, borough-English, borough hall, borrelia, Borromini, borrow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use borough in a sentence

The small borough had to arrange a “special emergency appropriation” to come up with Caruso’s cash and paid in installments.
How the Police Bank Millions Through Their Union Contracts|by Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press, and Agnes Chang, Jeff Kao and Agnel Philip, ProPublica|February 8, 2021|ProPublica
Queensbridge consists of 26 Y-shaped buildings in the shadow of the bridge that connects midtown Manhattan with the borough of Queens.
At New York City’s biggest power plant, a switch to clean energy will help a neighborhood breathe easier|Andrew Blum|February 2, 2021|Popular-Science
The list of cities where renting is a better deal than buying includes Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn in New York City.
U.S. real estate in 4 charts: Where buying a home is more affordable than renting right now|Nicolas Rapp|January 19, 2021|Fortune
The virus was taking the worst toll in the Bronx, and Bronxwood sat within the borough’s hardest-hit ZIP code, although it would be weeks until anyone would know this.
“We Don’t Even Know Who Is Dead or Alive”: Trapped Inside an Assisted Living Facility During the Pandemic|by Ava Kofman|November 30, 2020|ProPublica

Top administrative judges as a result moved her to the Bronx that year, and she handled both civil and criminal matters in the borough until her retirement.
New York Court Officials to Review Cases Handled by Judge With Alzheimer’s|by Joe Sexton|October 15, 2020|ProPublica
Guy Molinari, a former Staten Island borough president, pushed back against that view.
Will Dirty Pol Vito Fossella Replace Dirty Pol Michael Grimm?|David Freedlander|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The borough officially became the least affordable place to live in America.
Eric Garner Was Just a Number to Them|Michael Daly|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Take, for example, the borough of the Bronx in New York City.
Legal but Still Poor: The Economic Consequences of Amnesty|Joel Kotkin|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The disadvantage for the borough is its location in a big blue state.
DINO Hunters Are Dreaming Hipster Dreams of the DNC in Brooklyn|David Freedlander|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This point was not missed by the Queens Borough President, Melinda Katz.
Bros Love Dragon Boats|Daniel Genis|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He looked up from his fish and replied, somewhat cuttingly, "By contesting a borough and getting elected."
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
At the end of 1881 there were 93,776 children in the borough between the ages of three and thirteen.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
Lockmakers are not so numerous here as they once were, though several well known patentees still have their works in the borough.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
Two Irish soldiers being stationed in a borough in the west of England, got into a conversation respecting their quarters.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Here we are eleven miles from the Borough, and at the end of the first stage out of London in the old days of the mail-coaches.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper

British Dictionary definitions for borough

borough

/ (ˈbʌrə) /

noun

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

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

any of the five constituent divisions of New York City

(in the US) a self-governing incorporated municipality

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

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

Word Origin for borough

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

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

borough

Origin of borough

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH borough

Words nearby borough

Words related to borough

How to use borough in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for borough

Word Origin for borough