city hall

American  

noun

(often initial capital letters)

1. the administration building of a city government.

2. a city administration or government.

3. Informal. a bureaucracy or bureaucratic rules and regulations, especially that of a city government.

   You can't fight city hall.

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city hall British  

noun

1. the building housing the administrative offices of a city or municipal government

2. 1. municipal government

   2. the officials of a municipality collectively

3. informal bureaucracy

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Etymology

Origin of city hall

An Americanism dating back to 1665–75

Example Sentences

To get one more shot to fight city hall, and win.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

For two decades, the two candidates worked closely together in both the National Assembly and Nice’s city hall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Altadena has never organized itself around a traditional civic center, like a city hall plaza or downtown square.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

Pedro Bogas and the board members have "given up" their posts at the publicly owned operator Carris, also known as CCFL, city hall said in a statement.

From Barron's • Oct. 22, 2025

They sent word to city hall and then went to another and another and another house.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

Related Words

• town hall