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

• suburbanism
  noun
• nonsuburban
  adjective
• semisuburban
  adjective
• 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; see origin at sub-, urban

Explanation

Suburban refers to areas just beyond a city’s border. Your parents might have grown up in the city and then moved to a more suburban area after they had kids. If you see a lot of malls, plus houses that all look the same, and you're just outside a city, then you're in a suburban area: the suburbs. If you're from the suburbs, the chaos of New York City might be shocking. Suburban areas aren't as busy as urban (city) areas, but there's a lot more going on than in rural areas — farmland. One difference between suburban and urban areas is the urban areas have more cabs and public transportation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

suburban

Among those who fled from a suburban town was audiovisual technician Luis, who had spent the afternoon helping evacuees from the village of Pelayos de la Presa when he received the order to evacuate.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

The project was a visual representation of how everyday people — often marginalized individuals — navigate transit in a sprawling suburban area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

He loves a huge suburban home outside a major city, but I would rather have something small, on a huge piece of land in a more rural area.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Adam Hamawy’s campaign headquarters is in a suburban New Jersey office center, down the hall from Princeton Plastic Surgeons, his practice that offers everything from eyelid surgery to Brazilian butt lifts.

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

If Levittown was the epicenter of postwar suburban optimism, my parents were exemplars and beneficiaries of its spirit.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

Related Words

• rural