suburban

American  

[suh-bur-buhn] / səˈbɜr bən /

adjective

1. pertaining to, inhabiting, or being in a suburb or the suburbs of a city or town.

2. characteristic of a suburb or suburbs.

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noun

1. a suburbanite.

2. a short overcoat for casual wear.

3. station wagon.

suburban British  

/ səˈbɜːbən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, situated in, or inhabiting a suburb or the suburbs

2. characteristic of or typifying a suburb or the suburbs

3. pejorative narrow or unadventurous in outlook

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noun

1. another word for suburbanite

Other Word Forms

• nonsuburban adjective
• semisuburban adjective
• suburbanism noun
• unsuburban adjective

Etymology

Origin of suburban

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin suburbānus “located close to a city (especially to Rome),” equivalent to sub- + urb- (stem of urbs “city”) + -ānus adjective suffix; sub-, urban

Example Sentences

After an hour on a freeway passing through suburban towns of countless rows of identical worker housing, we turned onto a more rustic road, headed into the country’s mountainous region.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

In the late 1940s, most of its employees moved from Manhattan to the leafy suburban campus at Murray Hill.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

The less scrupulous voices also invade Beverly’s meticulous household like bulls in a suburban china shop.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Take an everyday video on any suburban transport network, add anime-style music and a rosy filter, and it's suddenly a scene from the Japanese holiday of your dreams.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

It would take them about half an hour to reach the hospital from our suburban Brisbane home.

From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge

Related Words

• rural