downtown
Americanadverb
adjective
noun
noun
adverb
adjective
Other Word Forms
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
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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.
They were all represented in soapbox carts that participated in the Red Bull Soapbox Race that made its way through the streets of downtown Los Angeles Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
Cardboard cutouts of photographers are stationed along the route during the Red Bull Soapbox Race in downtown Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
Pro-Palestinian activists organised an alternative concert dubbed "song protest" on Friday in downtown Vienna, which has been under tight security all week.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
On a March morning at the Nateland Entertainment headquarters in downtown Nashville, the founder wears Nike Dunks, a striped sweater and a neat haircut.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
Cat went downstairs for her bike, then rode downtown.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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.
