city
Americannoun
plural
cities-
a large or important town.
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(in the U.S.) an incorporated municipality, usually governed by a mayor and a board of aldermen or councilmen.
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the inhabitants of a city collectively.
The entire city is mourning his death.
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(in Canada) a municipality of high rank, usually based on population.
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(in Great Britain) a borough, usually the seat of a bishop, upon which the dignity of the title has been conferred by the crown.
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the City,
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the major metropolitan center of a region; downtown.
I'm going to the City to buy clothes and see a show.
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the commercial and financial area of London, England.
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a city-state.
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(often initial capital letter) a place, person, or situation having certain features or characteristics (used in combination).
The party last night was Action City. That guy is dull city.
noun
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any large town or populous place
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(in Britain) a large town that has received this title from the Crown: usually the seat of a bishop
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(in the US) an incorporated urban centre with its own government and administration established by state charter
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(in Canada) a similar urban municipality incorporated by the provincial government
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an ancient Greek city-state; polis
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the people of a city collectively
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(modifier) in or characteristic of a city
a city girl
city habits
noun
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short for City of London : the original settlement of London on the N bank of the Thames; a municipality governed by the Lord Mayor and Corporation. Resident pop: 7186 (2001)
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the area in central London in which the United Kingdom's major financial business is transacted
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the various financial institutions located in this area
Usage
What is a basic definition of city? A city is a place where a large number of people live. The word city is also used to refer to all of the people who live in this kind of place or to something that is related to such a place. The word city has more specific meanings, depending on the country. The plural of city is cities. Generally speaking, a city is a place where a large number of people are gathered together to live and/or work. Cities are typically much larger than places referred to as towns and are known for having homes and apartments placed more closely together than in other places. Different countries have specific definitions of what actually qualifies as a city, but the word is often used generally to describe a place where many people live. Real-life examples: New York City, Tokyo, Paris, London, Moscow, Beijing, Madrid, and Berlin are examples of major cities around the world. Used in a sentence: I grew up in the city of Philadelphia. Playing off of this, the word city is also used to collectively refer to all of the people who live in a city. Real-life examples: A mayor will often give speeches to the city, meaning the people who live there. A parade or festival will also be organized by a city, meaning the city’s government or the citizens of a city. Used in a sentence: The city celebrated New Year’s Eve with a big parade. The word city is also used to describe something that is related to or has the quality of a city. Real-life examples: A city library is a library located in and run by a city. A city bus is a bus owned and operated by a city. A city person is someone who grew up in a city or prefers the life of a city. Used in a sentence: My dad really hates city traffic.
Related Words
See community.
Other Word Forms
- cityless adjective
- citylike adjective
- intercity adjective
- minicity noun
- outcity noun
- procity adjective
- subcity noun
Etymology
Origin of city
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English cite, from Anglo-French, Old French cite(t), from Latin cīvitāt-, stem of cīvitās “citizenry, town,” from cīvi(s) “citizen” ( cf. civil ( def. )) + -tās -ty 2
Explanation
A city is an area in which a large number of people live fairly close together. Cities usually have their own separate governments and systems for maintaining and providing utilities and transportation. A city is basically a big town — the population is large in relation to the amount of land, since people often live in apartments or multi-family housing. The largest city in the world today is Shanghai, China. You can also call the residents of a city as a whole a city: "The city voted to increase recycling." City comes from the Latin civitatem, "citizenship," or "community of citizens," from the root civis, "citizen."
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.
The campus will host 800 megawatts of usable IT load—enough to power the city of Baltimore.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
It has been since the city was founded as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
Named after the city of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Kolhapuri sandals date back to the 12th Century and are traditionally made from leather, often using natural dyes suited to hot climates.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
It concluded that the department spent roughly $50 million a year on police helicopters — more than the annual budgets of at least 14 city agencies.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
The noises only made me remember more: the times I’d been out there, feeling unfettered in the city that was mine as much as anyone else’s.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
