town
noun
a thickly populated area, usually smaller than a city and larger than a village, having fixed boundaries and certain local powers of government.
town
1 American
[taun]
/ taʊn /
noun
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towns
plural
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a thickly populated area, usually smaller than a city and larger than a village, having fixed boundaries and certain local powers of government.
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a densely populated area of considerable size, as a city or borough.
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(especially in New England) a municipal corporation with less elaborate organization and powers than a city.
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(in most U.S. states except those of New England) a township.
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any urban area, as contrasted with its surrounding countryside.
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the inhabitants of a town; townspeople; citizenry.
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the particular town or city in mind or referred to.
living on the outskirts of town; to be out of town.
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a nearby or neighboring city; the chief town or city in a district.
I am staying at a friend's apartment in town.
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the main business or shopping area in a town or city; downtown.
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British.
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a village or hamlet in which a periodic market or fair is held.
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any village or hamlet.
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Scot. a farmstead.
adjective
idioms
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go to town,
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to be successful.
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to do well, efficiently, or speedily.
The engineers really went to town on those plans.
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to lose restraint or inhibition; overindulge.
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paint the town. paint.
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on the town,
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Informal. in quest of entertainment in a city's nightclubs, bars, etc.; out to have a good time.
a bunch of college kids out on the town.
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supported by the public charity of the state or community; on relief.
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Town
2
American
[taun]
/ taʊn /
noun
town
British
/ taʊn /
noun
-
-
a densely populated urban area, typically smaller than a city and larger than a village, having some local powers of government and a fixed boundary
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( as modifier )
town life
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a city, borough, or other urban area
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(in the US) a territorial unit of local government that is smaller than a county; township
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the nearest town or commercial district
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London or the chief city of an area
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the inhabitants of a town
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the permanent residents of a university town as opposed to the university staff and students Compare gown
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to make a supreme or unrestricted effort; go all out
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informal to lose one's temper
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seeking out entertainments and amusements
town
More Idioms
Synonym Usage
See community.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of town
First recorded before 900; Middle English toun, tun, Old English tūn “walled or fenced place, courtyard, farmstead, village”; cognate with Old Norse tūn “homefield,” German Zaun “fence”; akin to Old Irish dún “citadel, fortress” ( see down 3 ( def. ))
Explanation
A town is an area where people live that's bigger than a village and smaller than a city. A town has a specific boundary, a name, and (usually) its own government. A town is essentially a small city. It's got a smaller population and usually has fewer big apartment buildings and more single-family homes. When something or someone is in town, they are visiting your town: "I'm so excited that the circus is in town!" And if you go out on the town, you take advantage of the nightlife in a town or city.
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.
See Examples For:
That residence sits closer to the center of town, roughly a four-minute drive from the Duxbury Bay mansion.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
Two paintings by Auguste Renoir stolen a month ago from a museum in the south of France have been recovered, the local town hall has said.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Did you get a feel for Nashville as a town while you were there?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
I was in this little town, and a family came up to me that could barely speak English, but they recognized me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Joey is no longer able to conceal her condition, so she quietly moves to Baguio, a mountain town north of Manila, to be treated by doctors in secret.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
They performed at the Town Hall in New York with a full house of almost 1,500 people, and a venue known for its historic significance.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
England reached a World Cup final for the first time in 2023, but the Roses were denied a first title by 12-time winners Australia in Cape Town.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Then there are passengers like the one sitting several rows behind him on a recent flight from Cape Town to Doha.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote is laying the groundwork for a $15 billion oil refinery near Lamu Town on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
The message was clear: Go back to James Town.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
He was a hammer meeting a nail, traveling to the run down parts of towns all over America to shore things up — to entertain rather than win over audiences.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
As in other resort towns, hotels and ski mountains were charging dizzying rates to keep up with operational costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Temperatures by Thursday dawn will be between 3 and 9 Celsius in most towns and cities although rural places could be several degrees lower.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Outside a grocery store, 60-year-old nurse Aila Heilima said she hoped the investment would "motivate young people to stay" in Muhos for work, instead of moving to bigger towns in search of job opportunities.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
We pass through small towns and quiet neighborhoods.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
