urban

American  

[ur-buhn] / ˈɜr bən /

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.

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urban British  

/ ˈɜːbən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or constituting a city or town

2. living in a city or town

3. (of music) emerging and developing in densely populated areas of large cities, esp those populated by people of African or Caribbean origin Compare rural

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Other Word Forms

• antiurban adjective
• nonurban adjective
• semiurban adjective
• unurban adjective

Etymology

Origin of urban

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

Explanation

Use the adjective urban to refer to cities or people who live in cities. It carries a suggestion of grittiness––urban style involves darker colors. The terms city and town are sometimes used inconsistently. If it is large enough, a town is considered to be an urban area. Communities where people live outside cities are called suburban. Urban is from a Latin adjective formed from urbs "city."

Example Sentences

Their music blends Middle Eastern folk influences with urban pop and vibrant jazz, creating a distinctive and compelling sound from a once-peaceful city with an estimated population of more than seven million.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The rules only apply to areas with notable fire hazard, including urban areas that Cal Fire has determined have “very high” fire hazard and rural wildlands.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Researchers presented the findings at the 2026 SSA Annual Meeting, showing that urban areas within the "path of totality" briefly became seismically quieter as the Moon fully blocked the Sun.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

Importantly, land values largely reflect the benefits of public investments that make urban locations desirable—in transit, schools, parks, for example.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

“There’s an urban legend about that scoreboard, you know.”

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

Related Words

• civic
• civil
• downtown
• metropolitan