small-town
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of a town or village.
a typical, small-town general store.
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provincial or unsophisticated.
small-town manners.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of small-town
First recorded in 1880–85
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.
DC Studios will also grace Hall H to preview its HBO series "Lanterns," starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as small-town Nebraska detectives, which debuts August 16.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
“There is a small-town quality to the grief that is being felt,” said journalist Andrea Mitchell, “an overwhelming sadness at the waste of the nation’s time and attention, at the opportunities lost.”
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
Steve Henson grew up in small-town Nebraska, made his way to California and left for Alaska to be a plumbing contractor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Hollywood was founded by daredevils, from the cowboys who galloped here to become stuntmen, to the small-town girls who bucked the pressure to get married and moved west to chase a one-in-a-million dream.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
The one thing I did like about small-town festivals was the food.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.