definitions

urbane

[ ur-beyn ]
/ ɜrˈbeɪn /
||
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.

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

urban vii, urban viii, urban wind, urbana, urbandale, urbane, urbanism, urbanist, urbanistic, urbanite, urbanity

Origin of urbane

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

Related forms

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

Can be confused

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

Examples from the Web for urbane

British Dictionary definitions for urbane

urbane

/ (ɜːˈbeɪn) /

adjective

characterized by elegance or sophistication

Derived Forms

urbanely, 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