suburb

American  

[suhb-urb] / ˈsʌb ɜrb /

noun

1. a district lying immediately outside a city or town, especially a smaller residential community.

2. the suburbs, the area composed of such districts.

3. an outlying part.

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suburb British  

/ ˈsʌbɜːb /

noun

1. a residential district situated on the outskirts of a city or town

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Other Word Forms

• suburbed adjective
• unsuburbed adjective

Etymology

Origin of suburb

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin suburbium, from sub- sub- + urb(s) “city” + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

The museum, set in a leafy Brussels suburb, holds millions of documents containing geological data that could significantly speed up mineral exploration in Congo.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Bears have been considering a site in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, but Mayor Jim Tinaglia recently warned that time is running out.

From The Wall Street Journal

I developed mine as a kid in the Philadelphia suburbs with no family rooting interest.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Bears haven’t found the same expediency in Illinois despite buying a parcel of land in Arlington Heights, a Chicago suburb, in 2021.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jordan Schwartz and his wife have been looking to buy their first home in the Chicago suburbs for about two years.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• countryside
• environs
• hinterland
• outpost
• outskirts
• suburbia
• village