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

Earlier this year, a team of engineers flew to Detroit on a secret mission to make Jeep Grand Cherokees drive themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

The Detroit Lions, for whom Arnold has played in 24 games since being a first-round draft pick in 2024, issued a brief statement.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

Around the time Corriveau and Corley were seeing traction with the early iteration of their dual restaurant-and-arcade concept, a cultural phenomenon rose in nascent techno and house scenes of cities from Detroit to Ibiza: raves.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026

Karim López joined him when the Detroit Pistons snapped him up at No. 21, making him the first Mexican-born first-round draft selection.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

In Detroit, eight hundred suspects had been held in an unventilated corridor of a US Post Office building, where they had no beds or blankets and only one toilet for the entire group.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler