townie

American  

[tou-nee] / ˈtaʊ ni /

Also townee,

noun

Informal.

plural

townies

1. a resident of a town, especially a nonstudent resident of a college town.

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townie British  

/ taʊˈniː, ˈtaʊnɪ /

noun

1. a permanent resident in a town, esp as distinct from country dwellers or students

2. a young working-class person who dresses in casual sports clothes

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Etymology

Origin of townie

First recorded in 1820–30; town + -ie

Example Sentences

The defining characteristic of a townie is coming from somewhere, and that holds true in his case.

From Salon • May 16, 2025

Since then, the former townie, to use his own word, has gained recognition for his wine-making skills and this year won the gold award for his Reserve Cuvée 2018 from British industry association WineGB.

From Reuters • Jul. 14, 2023

When a townie takes collegians on an overnight tour in Burkittsville, Md., they awake to chaos and have no memory of sleeping.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2019

Brody was an Amity townie who felt he couldn’t hang with the cool kids unless he had that pricey lizard on his chest.

From Washington Post • Dec. 17, 2017

Arnie Weinstein took to frequenting the townie bars, where he attempted to discuss Marxist theory with hostile countermen.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt