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Showing results for local government. Search instead for political government.
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:

At the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro where damage included a partially collapsed smokestack, the local government said that nine people were unaccounted for.

From Barron's Jul. 29, 2026

Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the leader of Madrid’s local government, earlier this week described the Madrid wildfires as perhaps “the worst natural catastrophe in Spain’s history.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 29, 2026

Rayner also said she has "unfinished business" in government, including on building council houses and supporting local government.

From BBC Jul. 23, 2026

A similar location is planned for Honolulu, according to local government documents.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 18, 2026

Enfolded in them were mountains, and a river, and enough villages to make him a local government unto himself.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

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