Chinatown

American

[chahy-nuh-toun] / ˈtʃaɪ nəˌtaʊn /

noun

the main Chinese district in any city outside China.

Chinatown British

/ ˈtʃaɪnəˌtaʊn /

noun

a quarter of any city or town outside China with a predominantly Chinese population

"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

Etymology

Origin of Chinatown

China + town

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:

Chinatown

On my first trip to a small storefront in Chinatown, I spent about $20 to play nine times.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

For Wok Wok, a Malaysian restaurant tucked below a pharmacy in the heart of Chinatown, the exposure has been a game changer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

In Chinatown, a librarian has assembled a brigade of teen volunteers to deliver fresh produce and other essential groceries to neighbors in need.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

If all goes according to plan, Gu Grocery will help close a deepening food scarcity gap in Chinatown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Amá takes me to a restaurant in Chinatown after she picks me up from the airport.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023