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Synonyms

local government

American  

noun

  • local governments
    plural
  1. the administration of the civic affairs of a city, town, or district by its inhabitants rather than by the state or country at large.

  2. the governing body of a town or district.


local government British  

noun

  1. government of the affairs of counties, towns, etc, by locally elected political bodies

  2. the US equivalent of local authority

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of local government

First recorded in 1835–45

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:

Word soon spread about local government officials who earned more picking mushrooms for the 10 weeks of matsutake season—from mid-July to late September—than from their entire year’s salary.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 12, 2026

"Boats carrying armed Houthi fighters reached Mayyun Island after government forces withdrew from it yesterday," the local government official told AFP, referring to an island also known as Perim.

From Barron's Sep. 11, 2026

The authority will be replaced by the new West Surrey Council in April 2027 following the dissolution of Surrey County Council and its 11 boroughs and districts as part of local government reorganisation.

From BBC Sep. 6, 2026

An increase in employment during the final month of the summer in restaurants and bars, as well as in local government education ahead of the new school year, was behind the rebound.

From BBC Sep. 4, 2026

Doha thought he was someone who worked in the local government office.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

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