downtown
Americanadverb
adjective
noun
noun
adverb
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of downtown
Explanation
Downtown is the area of a city that's the busiest, with the most shops, restaurants, buildings, and pedestrians. You can usually take a bus, train, or subway to get around downtown. The widespread use of downtown probably started in New York City during the early 19th century. The original city hub was located at the southern tip of Manhattan, and as development proceeded northward, New Yorkers began to distinguish between downtown and uptown. In many cities today, downtown doesn't refer to the southern area of the city, just its heart or center.
Vocabulary lists containing downtown
Spelling Practice 1, Unit 7
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Ballad of Birmingham" by Dudley Randall
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
Another parade through the streets of downtown Los Angeles this fall would only embolden their efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
That winter brought with it hundreds of landslides across Los Angeles and the second-rainiest three-day period for downtown L.A. since recordkeeping began in 1877.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Austin Police Department Corporal Patrick Oborski was manning a busy downtown intersection in Texas when he saw one of Waymo’s robotaxis zoom ahead of traffic—on the wrong side of the road.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Before the developer of a Midtown Manhattan conversion project was thrust into the spotlight this week, MetroLoft was already battling problems at another high-profile conversion project downtown.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
She grew up a few blocks from Astor Street, and she loves the glamour of living downtown.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
As land values surged and horizontal growth became constrained, elevators and downtowns together climbed vertically from the steel-frame towers of the late 19th century to the glass supertalls that shape today’s skylines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026
In addition, “many condo buildings are located in urban downtowns, which are less attractive than they used to be for people who now work from home at least part-time,” the paper reported.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 14, 2026
Manville said other U.S. metropolitan areas have much denser downtowns and a greater contrast in density with surrounding suburbs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025
"Carriers really appreciate Freightera's reliable demand for service, which has grown every year consistently, right through Covid, the inflation afterwards and the current freight recession, one of the largest running freight downtowns," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2025
Like several old Hudson River downtowns in the region, from Peekskill to Poughkeepsie, the neighborhood has seen better days.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
