urban

[ ur-buhn ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designating a city or town:

   densely populated urban areas.

2. living, located, or taking place in a city:

   urban rooftop gardening.

3. characteristic of or accustomed to cities; citified:

   He’s an urban type—I can’t picture him enjoying a whole week at our cabin in the woods.

4. of or relating to the experience, lifestyle, or culture of African Americans living in economically depressed inner-city neighborhoods:

   Their first album had a hard, urban vibe.

5. Offensive. (used as a euphemism for Black or African American, rather than in reference to cities or their residents):

   a drug problem that particularly impacts the urban residents in this small town.

urban

/ ˈɜːbən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or constituting a city or town
2. living in a city or town
3. See rural
   (of music) emerging and developing in densely populated areas of large cities, esp those populated by people of African or Caribbean origin Compare rural

Other Words From

• anti·urban adjective
• non·urban adjective
• semi·urban adjective
• un·urban adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of urban¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from Latin urbānus, equivalent to urb- (stem of urbs ) “city” + -ānus adjective suffix; -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of urban¹

C17: from Latin urbānus, from urbs city

Example Sentences

Impact-focused OZ investment is not restricted to urban communities.

From Fortune

In fact, human-food sources accounted for as much as 60 to 75 percent of what urban coyotes ate.

From Science News For Students

A large chunk of the fine particulate matter pollution in urban areas—ranging from 20 to 70 percent—is secondary organic aerosols, or SOAs.

From Popular-Science

What’s more, these districts are similar in that they are relatively racially diverse and urban, which partly explains progressives’ success here.

From FiveThirtyEight

For instance, there’s Margaret Anadu, head of Goldman Sachs’s urban investment group.

From Fortune

We see detoxing as a path to transcendence, a symbol of modern urban virtue and self-transformation through abstinence.

From The Daily Beast

In the wee hours of Christmas morning, a flight deal was shared in an exclusive Facebook group for urban travelers.

From The Daily Beast

Young, hip, urban millennials are using tools like Instagram to become one of the fastest growing travel markets.

From The Daily Beast

His New Deal Coalition brought together Southerners, Northern ethnic minorities, and urban blacks under the same banner.

From The Daily Beast

The former provides entrepreneurial training and educational programs for youths from low-income urban areas around the world.

From The Daily Beast

Urban property and lands were assessed at values far beyond those at which the owners truly estimated them.

From Project Gutenberg

Today in the cities, and particularly in the quickly growing urban areas, there are different conditions.

From Project Gutenberg

But what, in the name of the great prince, is the meaning of her declining the urban expedition?

From Project Gutenberg

I could find no solution, unless it be that instinctive belief of a city-bred civilization that all joys are urban.

From Project Gutenberg

At sight of him Urban smiled again, and would have spoken; for he recognized the great Duke.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• civic
• civil
• downtown
• metropolitan