town meeting

American

noun

a general meeting of the inhabitants of a town.
(especially in New England) a legislative assembly of the qualified voters of a town.

town meeting British

noun

an assembly of the inhabitants of a town
(esp in New England) an assembly of the qualified voters of a town. Such a meeting may exercise all the powers of local government

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of town meeting

First recorded in 1630–40

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.

The “Biggest Little Town in Tennessee” had called a town meeting, and its entire identity was at stake.

From Slate • Nov. 6, 2025

Complaints about crowd management dominated a recent town meeting.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 12, 2025

He said town councillors were in early discussions regarding some kind of memorial for those who died, and that it would be further discussed in the annual town meeting later.

From BBC • May 19, 2025

Emergency management officials passed out a list of evacuation procedures to worried residents at a Wednesday evening town meeting meant to mitigate panic.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 10, 2024

She’d certainly made her objection to Jinx’s plan clear the night of the town meeting.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023