urbane

[ur-beyn]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR urbane ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having the polish and suavity regarded as characteristic of sophisticated social life in major cities: an urbane manner.

reflecting elegance, sophistication, etc., especially in expression: He maintained an urbane tone in his letters.

Origin of urbane

1525–35; (< Middle French urbain) < Latin urbānus (see urban; for difference in stress and second syllable cf. human, humane)

Related formsur·bane·ly, adverbur·bane·ness, nounun·ur·bane, adjectiveun·ur·bane·ly, adverb

Can be confusedurban urbane

Synonyms for urbane

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR urbane ON THESAURUS.COM

1. suave, cosmopolitan.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for urbane

cosmopolitan, suave, cultured, sophisticated, elegant, well-bred, polished, refined, affable, balanced, bland, civil, courteous, debonair, genteel, gracious, mannerly, metropolitan, obliging, polite

Examples from the Web for urbane

Contemporary Examples of urbane

He is, by all accounts, brilliant; a dashing, urbane go-getter who exudes charm.
This Scary-Smart New Minister of Economy Might Just Turn France Around
Tracy McNicoll
August 31, 2014
And menswear designer Michael Bastian created a world of gentlemen farmers and urbane dandies.
Designing for the One Percent at New York Fashion Week
Robin Givhan
February 14, 2012
The year 2011 was particularly tough for the usually gracious and urbane president.
Hamid Karzai Tells The Daily Beast That U.S. Night Raids Must End
Ron Moreau, Sami Yousafzai
January 7, 2012
As a passionate and urbane liberal, Obama bore more than a passing resemblance to JFK.
Be More Like Teddy
Reihan Salam
August 26, 2009

Historical Examples of urbane

And always the Phillips manner was kind and gracious and urbane.
Fair Harbor
Joseph Crosby Lincoln
He's so urbane in his brutality; that's what makes it so crushing.
Audrey Craven
May Sinclair
"I perfectly agree with you," said the other, with an urbane bow.
Luttrell Of Arran
Charles James Lever
But he snubbed her with a sharpness very unlike his urbane self.
Good Old Anna
Marie Belloc Lowndes
Your custom of pairing is not what you call 'urbane' on this world.
The Galaxy Primes
Edward Elmer Smith

British Dictionary definitions for urbane

urbane

adjective

characterized by elegance or sophistication

Derived Formsurbanely, adverburbaneness, noun

Word Origin for urbane

C16: from Latin urbānus belonging to the town; see urban

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for urbane

adj.

1530s, "of or relating to cities or towns," from Middle French urbain (14c.), from Latin urbanus "belonging to a city," also "citified, elegant" (see urban). The meaning "having the manners of townspeople, courteous, refined" is first attested 1620s. Urbanity in this sense is recorded from 1530s. For sense connection, cf. human/humane.