inner city

American  

[in-er sit-ee] / ˈɪn ər ˈsɪt i /

noun

1. an older part of a city, densely populated and usually deteriorating, inhabited mainly by poor, often minority, groups.

   Struggling schools in the inner city face substantial challenges to prepare students for college.

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adjective

1. of or relating to such a section within a city: low-income residents in inner-city neighborhoods.

   after-school programs for inner-city youth;

   low-income residents in inner-city neighborhoods.

inner city British  

noun

1. 1. the parts of a city in or near its centre, esp when they are associated with poverty, unemployment, substandard housing, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      inner-city schools

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inner city Cultural  

1. A general term for impoverished areas of large cities. The inner city is characterized by minimal educational opportunities, high unemployment and crime rates, broken families, and inadequate housing. (See ghettos.)

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Etymology

Origin of inner city

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

The population had been falling for years; the words "inner city" were regarded as a mark of degradation.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

“I was in the inner city, I’m not going to shy away from that,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

On Wednesday, Fremont All-City defensive end Andrew Williams signed with USC, the first inner city signee since Joseph Lewis and Greg Johnson signed from Hawkins High in 2017.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

Last month, as part of a "clean-up" campaign across Johannesburg, the city council said the inner city had been "targeted... for the systemic removal of pervasive lawlessness, illegal activities, hijacked properties, and critical by-law infringements".

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025

And in his final months, they came back to him, hundreds of them, from Boston, New York, California, London, and Switzerland; from corporate offices and inner city school programs.

From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom

Related Words

• central city
• downtown
• slum