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

According to Camden Council, a number of the borough's schools provide similar support roles through charitable means or existing budgets – but it's not an expense all can afford.

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In August, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani hosted a citywide scavenger hunt, inviting voters to scour the boroughs in search of historic political sites.

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“Whenever we got hungry, my girlfriend would open some old website that had a list of restaurants with matchbooks broken down by borough.”

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Other London boroughs, such as Wandsworth and Havering, don't collect wheelie bins and ask all residents to place their bin bags on the pavement or just inside the boundary of their property.

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One of his more novel ideas is creating a network of city-owned grocery stores across New York's five boroughs, expanding on the six city-owned stores.

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Related Words

• district 
• precinct