borough
Americannoun
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boroughs
plural
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(in certain states of the U.S.) an incorporated municipality smaller than a city.
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one of the five administrative divisions of New York City.
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British.
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an urban community incorporated by royal charter, similar to an incorporated city or municipality in the U.S.
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a town, area, or constituency represented by a Member of Parliament.
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(formerly) a fortified town organized as and having some of the powers of an independent country.
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(in Alaska) an administrative division similar to a county in other states.
noun
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a town, esp (in Britain) one that forms the constituency of an MP or that was originally incorporated by royal charter See also burgh
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any of the 32 constituent divisions that together with the City of London make up Greater London
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any of the five constituent divisions of New York City
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(in the US) a self-governing incorporated municipality
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(in medieval England) a fortified town or village or a fort
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(in New Zealand) a small municipality with a governing body
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
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 barrow 2.
Explanation
A borough is a town that has its own government. It also can be a part of a big city that has powers of self-government. Manhattan is just one of the five boroughs that make up New York City. When a borough is part of a big city, it represents a more formal division than just a neighborhood. It’s a separate town, often one that has its own government. When you move from one borough to another, you might notice different tax rates or different parking regulations. In England the word often refers to a town that has a representative in Parliament. Pronounce the second syllable in borough with a long “o” sound, like the donkey (burro).
Vocabulary lists containing borough
The Poet X
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The Marrow Thieves
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"Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson
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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.
See Examples For:
A judge later ordered that the case move to a Manhattan court after city lawyers argued that borough was the proper jurisdiction because that is where the rent freeze vote took place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Sandwell Council, which covers West Bromwich, said both Singh and MPK were no longer operating in the borough.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Victor Niederhoffer was born to Arthur and Elaine Niederhoffer in New York’s Brooklyn borough on Dec. 10, 1943.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
As Berenger and Rogers are drawn into an affair, Scott plays up the contrast between her wealthy Upper East Side world and his working-class life in an outer borough.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Because what was so inspiring about the leap was not how the jumper got from one borough to the other, but how he stayed between them for so long.”
From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
Other boroughs, including Kensington and Chelsea—where Harrods is located—said they were unable to provide similar data to Westminster.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
At the same time, rents increased by 10% in both boroughs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Zip-Zap co-founder Laura Edwards says families are moving out of Islington to other boroughs for better schools, more affordable homes and more space.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
At least 30,500 Londoners are on allotment waiting lists, with 16 boroughs closed to new applicants, according to a 2023 Freedom of Information request published by Greenpeace.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
And nowhere in America was such a single temple potential available as in New York’s five boroughs.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
