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

At a suburban Kyiv railway station, two carriages painted in the blue and white livery of Ukrainian Railways sit on the main platform, their diesel engines running as snow steadily falls.

From BBC

For the Dessners, music was “just what you did as suburban kids at a time when there was nothing to do,” Bryce said.

From Los Angeles Times

That pressure came to a head after immigration officials detained two Target employees inside the vestibule of a suburban store late last week after what appeared to be some verbal sparring in the parking lot.

From The Wall Street Journal

On the contrary, Lichtblau has seen how these white suburban views spill outward.

From Los Angeles Times

It is considering a few suburban campuses, including the former headquarters of Electronic Data Systems in Plano, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• rural