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urbanism

American  
[ur-buh-niz-uhm] / ˈɜr bəˌnɪz əm /

noun

  1. the way of life of people who live in a large city.

  2. urbanization.

  3. city planning.

urbanism British  
/ ˈɜːbəˌnɪzəm /

noun

    1. the character of city life

    2. the study of this

  2. a less common term for urbanization See urbanization

"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

Etymology

Origin of urbanism

1885–90; urban + -ism, modeled on French urbanisme

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He wrote or co-wrote at least 16 books, among them a brilliant monograph on George Howe and his “Paradise Planned: The Garden Suburb and the Modern City,” a massive study of American urbanism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

"These factors promoted the coevolution of urbanism, systemic inequality and patron-client relationships in cities."

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2025

Dismissed as the nemesis of sustainable urbanism, L.A. can, in fact, be well-positioned for the next chapter.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

These developments in urbanism and architecture were paralleled in art and literature.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2025

Nobody could see at present that his urbanism sat upon him only as a garment.

From The Well-Beloved by Hardy, Thomas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.