Detroit

American  

[dih-troit] / dɪˈtrɔɪt /

noun

1. a city in SE Michigan, on the Detroit River.

2. a river in SE Michigan, flowing S from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, forming part of the boundary between the U.S. and Canada. About 32 miles (52 km) long.

3. the U.S. automobile industry.

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Detroit British  

/ dɪˈtrɔɪt /

noun

1. a city in SE Michigan, on the Detroit River: a major Great Lakes port; largest car-manufacturing centre in the world. Pop: 911 402 (2003 est)

2. a river in central North America, flowing along the US-Canadian border from Lake St Clair to Lake Erie

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Detroit Cultural  

1. Largest city in Michigan.

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Discover More

As the center of automobile production, it is often referred to as the “Motor City” or “Motown.”

Example Sentences

A former PulteGroup board member told the Detroit Free Press in 2021 that many board members “didn’t think his experience was extensive enough” when his grandfather installed Pulte on the board.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026

But Detroit was in flames following the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and they stayed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

The Detroit automaker’s chief executive, Mary Barra, has described fully electric vehicles as the company’s “North Star,” saying that it is currently focused on reducing the cost of its EVs as adoption grows over time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 3, 2026

That is a specific pain that I know, and that pain feels the same, whether you are an Arab kid or whether you’re a white kid or whether you’re a Black kid in Detroit.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026

“Okay. I remember you saying you wanted to get as far away from Detroit as you possibly could. Stanford? UCLA?”

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi