borough

American  

[bur-oh, buhr-oh] / ˈbɜr oʊ, ˈbʌr oʊ /

noun

• boroughs
  plural

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.

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borough British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• boroughs
  plural

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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.

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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).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

borough boroughs

For now, though, in a rainy borough reachable only by plane or boat, the double-Dan debacle is all anyone can think about.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Reform is also investigating two councillors who represent the party in the London borough of Hounslow.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

He says on the doorstep, voters are telling him "they're fed up with the crime, disorder. This borough is crime-ridden. It's soaked in crime."

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

The pair met again in February in Washington, where the mayor pitched the president on a sweeping federally backed housing project in Trump’s home borough of Queens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

We went over the part of the bridge that wasn’t in any borough, and I turned around and watched the buildings get smaller.

From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer

The son of a slumlord coming from the outer boroughs, he was starting with two strikes against him when he attempted to make a jump into Manhattan’s high society.

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026

Rikers, which sits on the East River between the Bronx and Queens boroughs, primarily holds people who are awaiting trial in New York, as was the case for disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

Tens of thousands of runners fill the streets with spectators cheering them on in each of the city’s boroughs during the annual New York City Marathon, taking place on Nov. 1.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which posts children a free book every month until their fifth birthday, is to double the number of London boroughs it covers.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Puerto Ricans and Latinos from all five boroughs came to pay their respects.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez

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Related Words

• district
• precinct

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