new town

American

noun

(sometimes initial capital letters) a comprehensively planned, self-sufficient urban community that provides housing, educational, recreational, and commercial facilities and often serves to absorb residents from a nearby overcrowded metropolis.

new town British

noun

(in Britain) a town that has been planned as a complete unit and built with government sponsorship, esp to accommodate overspill population

"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

Etymology

Origin of new town

First recorded in 1915–20

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:

new town

Nearby, a new town of 6.2 square kilometres is under construction, "three times the size of Monaco", according to the site's owners, Lamda Development.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

It’s a new career in a new town.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025

The TV architect grew up in council housing in a new town, Washington, in the north-east of England, which he said was a "very humane piece of design".

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2025

He’s just moved to a new town for a job and has been working doubles at the factory for weeks on end.

From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2025

It was the same way I felt sometimes, being friendless in a new town and not having a mama to comfort me.

From "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023