city
noun
a large or important town.
city
American
[sit-ee]
/ ˈsɪt i /
noun
-
cities
plural
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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.
city
1
British
/ ˈsɪtɪ /
noun
-
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
City
2
British
/ ˈsɪtɪ /
noun
-
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)
-
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.
Synonym Usage
See community.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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minicitynoun
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outcitynoun
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subcitynoun
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citylessadjective
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citylikeadjective
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intercityadjective
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procityadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
It estimates that AI media companies with $2 billion in backing have converged on the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Several hundred people, some masked, gathered around noon in front of the ministry of education, with protests later spreading across the city.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
After the 2023 law took effect, city inspectors issued him a number of violations, including for the door, which he then had to tear down.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
Alternative options, the 23-year-old added, were "Wetherspoons, sitting in the park or getting a prohibitively expensive taxi back from another town or city".
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
“There is no city anymore,” said the soldier.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Culver City is already home to big names in Hollywood and technology like Amazon MGM Studios, TikTok, Apple, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
New York City three years ago enacted one of the country’s strictest crackdowns on short-term rentals, which reduced the number of listings across the five boroughs by more than 90%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
TrueShort moved into Culver City last month, taking over most of a 5,000-square-foot office space near Amazon’s studio.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
The Wall Street Journal spoke with several New York City homeowners who continue to host Airbnb guests about their experiences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
The image on the screen behind Natalie changed to a still shot from her television interview in Liberty City.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Singapore ranked second on IQAir's live ranking of the world's most polluted major cities behind Baghdad on Saturday, with Kuala Lumpur third.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
His 2009 novel, “The City & the City,” is a noirish crime story set within a pair of culturally distinct cities whose residents must not interact.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Mayors in other big cities have faced similar dilemmas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
And the clashes have spread beyond Tirana - to include the main cities of Durrës, Shkodër, Lezhë and Vlora in the west, Gjirokastër in the south and Korçë in the east.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Across America, there are schools, cities, and other landmarks named in their honor.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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