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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• local governments
  plural

Etymology

Origin of local government

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

She often writes about private markets, university finance and state and local government.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026

Facility operators have contracts with local communities and companies to pick up their recycling, sort it, and sell it on the commodities market, sometimes sharing revenue with the local government or business.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

Such conduct can cause vendors to lose trust in their local government and be afraid to do things like apply for permits and licenses, she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

While she stressed that strikes must still be a last resort, at the weekend she told local government workers to prepare for ballots if a 3.3% pay increase isn't improved.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026

“There you go, little witches. That will explain everything you need to know about how your local government works,” Alaric said a little too loudly.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Related Words

• municipality