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Definition of town

town

/taʊn/
town

Plural:towns
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town Lexical Profile

town Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

An urban area that has a name, defined boundaries, and local government, and that is generally larger than a village and smaller than a city.

Example

"They moved to a small town in the countryside to escape the hectic pace of the city."


2

The central business area or main commercial center of a neighborhood, municipality, or region.

Example

"We are going into town this afternoon to run some errands and visit the bank."


3

The permanent residents of a particular municipality, especially when distinguished from the student body and faculty of a local university.

Example

"The university chancellor actively worked to improve relations between the town and the academic community."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for town
Antonyms
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Word Nuance & Usage

While exact legal definitions vary by region, a 'town' is generally understood to be larger and more commercially developed than a village, but smaller and less densely populated than a city.

• Rhymes for town

Word Origin & Etymology

From Old English 'tūn' (meaning an enclosed piece of land, homestead, or village), derived from Proto-Germanic '*tūnan' (fence or enclosure).

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Town. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 6, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/town
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