downtown

[doun-toun]

adverb

1. to or in the main business section of a city.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or situated in the main business section of a city.

noun

1. the main business section of a city.

downtown

/ ˈdaʊnˈtaʊn /

noun

1. the central or lower part of a city, esp the main commercial area

adverb

1. towards, to, or into this area

adjective

1. of, relating to, or situated in the downtown area

   downtown Manhattan

Other Word Forms

• downtowner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of downtown¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; down ¹ + town

Example Sentences

At Federal Prison Camp Bryan, located about 90 miles northwest of downtown Houston, guards usually don’t carry weapons.

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“We are currently unable to operate our self-checkout lanes ... due to a new City of Long Beach ordinance,” said a sign for customers at a Vons in downtown Long Beach.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Thousands of soldiers marched through downtown Pyongyang in the parade, a relatively small contingent representing the roughly 1.2 million troops of one of the world’s largest standing armies.

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Homeboy Industries has kicked off a fundraising campaign to raise $100 million for a major expansion of its facilities downtown.

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Along the West Bank of the Mississippi, directly across the way from downtown New Orleans, there’s a levee that rises up beside the riverbank.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• central 
• main 
• metropolitan 
• urban