downtown
Americanadverb
adjective
noun
-
downtowns
plural
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
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"Ballad of Birmingham" by Dudley Randall
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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:
The neighborhood is close to downtown and Johns Hopkins Hospital, where Miller works, and to subway, light-rail and train stations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
In Noblesville, Ind., where the White River flows through the city’s downtown, more than 550 residential units were affected by the flood, said Mayor Chris Jensen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The wreck in the Danube was reportedly discovered on 2 August, when a passersby reported part of the motorcycle protruding from the rocks on the riverbank in downtown Budapest.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
The longest unfinished stretch is the eight miles from Elysian Park through downtown to Maywood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Grandpa said, “I have to put the team in a stall and feed and water them. After that, I’ll get us a room and then we’ll go downtown and take care of my business.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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
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.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
"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
Downtown Los Angeles is one of the few downtowns across the country that saw growth pre- to post-pandemic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 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.
