township

American  

[taun-ship] / ˈtaʊn ʃɪp /

noun

• townships
  plural

1. a unit of local government, usually a subdivision of a county, found in most midwestern and northeastern states of the U.S. and in most Canadian provinces.

2. (in U.S. surveys of public land) a region or district approximately 6 miles square (93.2 sq. km), containing 36 sections.

3. English History.

   1. one of the local divisions or districts of a large parish, each containing a village or small town, usually with a church of its own.

   2. the manor, parish, etc., itself.

   3. its inhabitants.

4. (in Australia)

   1. a small town or settlement serving as the business center of a rural area.

   2. the business center of a town or suburb.

5. (formerly, in South Africa) a segregated residential settlement for Black people, located outside a city or town.

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township British  

/ ˈtaʊnʃɪp /

noun

1. a small town

2. (in the Scottish Highlands and islands) a small crofting community

3. (in the US and Canada) a territorial area, esp a subdivision of a county: often organized as a unit of local government

4. (formerly, in South Africa) a planned urban settlement of Black Africans or Coloured people Compare location

5. English history

   1. any of the local districts of a large parish, each division containing a village or small town

   2. the particular manor or parish itself as a territorial division

   3. the inhabitants of a township collectively

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• townships
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of township

First recorded before 900; Middle English tounship “community,” Old English tūnscipe “village community”; see origin at town, -ship

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Explanation

A township is a community that's smaller or more widely scattered than a city. It would be a huge change to move from a little township in North Dakota to Los Angeles. The exact definition of township varies widely depending where you are in the world. Even in the U.S., the meaning differs from state to state. Townships are generally geographic areas that are smaller than counties and controlled by local governments. In some cases, several towns make up a township. In others, a township is simply a rural town that's spread out and sparsely populated. The Old English root meant "parish of a hundred."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

township townships

It is a maze of corrugated metal shacks and unpaved roads, close to Alexandra township.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

For a township with a median household income of about $60,000, that payout could cover months of rent, groceries or fuel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

The shooting took place in Wedela, a semi-rural township of brick houses and small businesses, surrounded by wide expanses of land used for mining.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

In interviews Adetshina said she was born in Soweto - the South African township next to Johannesburg - and grew up in Cape Town.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

I had passed through this township once on my way to Bloemfontein, and took no notice of it.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Since 2016, she said in a statement, a review of Aung San statues in more than 100 townships had found some had features "inconsistent with the dignity of such an important historical figure".

From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026

With guidance from Henry’s organization, Monroe, Millville and Andover townships passed AI data centers bans or restrictions.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

The military still only fully controls less than half the country, but it has been making gains - including key townships and retaking a critical road from Mandalay to Myitkyina in the north.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

Despite a history of human activity that dates back more than 6,000 years, the area wasn’t officially established as the municipality of Val di Fiemme until the three townships merged in January 2020.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

She’ll run all the way to Pittsburgh and then through the Pennsylvania townships and down the 355.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

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Related Words

• area
• colony
• country
• district
• enclave
• field
• land
• nation
• neighborhood
• province
• sector
• state
• street
• terrain
• zone

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