downtown

[doun-toun]

See more synonyms for downtown on Thesaurus.com

adverb

to or in the main business section of a city.

adjective

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

noun

the main business section of a city.

Origin of downtown

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; down¹ + town

Related formsdown·town·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for downtown

Contemporary Examples

Soon thereafter, Bentivolio was asked to play Santa in downtown Milford and became a professional.
Kerry Bentivolio: The Congressman Who Believes in Santa Claus
Ben Jacobs
December 24, 2014
He speaks while sipping a soda in the restaurant of the Residence Victoria in downtown Kisangani.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway
Nina Strochlic
December 18, 2014
It was headquartered in Stanleyville, in a tall corner building that still stands in the decrepit, yet lively, downtown.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway
Nina Strochlic
December 18, 2014
Just downtown shone the Freedom Tower, which has risen where the World Trade Center came down in the 9/11 attacks.
Eric Garner Was Just a Number to Them
Michael Daly
December 5, 2014
Artillery fire could be heard in Avtozavodsky district, on Chernyshevskogo and Putin avenues in downtown Grozny.
Fierce Fighting in Grozny Raises Specter of ISIS Influence in Russia
Anna Nemtsova
December 4, 2014

Historical Examples

He did not know where to go, but unconsciously his steps took him downtown.
The Wall Street Girl
Frederick Orin Bartlett
Then he kept on downtown toward the office of Carter, Rand & Seagraves.
The Wall Street Girl
Frederick Orin Bartlett
I remembered one minute I was downtown New York, looking across the river.
The Hated
Frederik Pohl
A windy day, one would have said in the dark channels of downtown ways.
Pipefuls
Christopher Morley
Out of the downtown traffic the three machines increased their speed.
Spring Street
James H. Richardson

British Dictionary definitions for downtown

downtown

noun

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

adverb

towards, to, or into this area

adjective

of, relating to, or situated in the downtown areadowntown Manhattan

Derived Formsdowntowner, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for downtown

n.

1835, from down (adv.) + town. The notion is of suburbs built on heights around a city.

downtown

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}downtown

Examples from the Web for downtown

Contemporary Examples

Soon thereafter, Bentivolio was asked to play Santa in downtown Milford and became a professional.

He speaks while sipping a soda in the restaurant of the Residence Victoria in downtown Kisangani.

It was headquartered in Stanleyville, in a tall corner building that still stands in the decrepit, yet lively, downtown.

Just downtown shone the Freedom Tower, which has risen where the World Trade Center came down in the 9/11 attacks.

Artillery fire could be heard in Avtozavodsky district, on Chernyshevskogo and Putin avenues in downtown Grozny.

Historical Examples

He did not know where to go, but unconsciously his steps took him downtown.

Then he kept on downtown toward the office of Carter, Rand & Seagraves.

I remembered one minute I was downtown New York, looking across the river.

A windy day, one would have said in the dark channels of downtown ways.

Out of the downtown traffic the three machines increased their speed.

downtown

Word Origin and History for downtown

n.

Origin of downtown