city

[sit-ee]

noun

plural

cities 

1. a large or important town.

2. (in the U.S.) an incorporated municipality, usually governed by a mayor and a board of aldermen or councilmen.

3. the inhabitants of a city collectively.

   The entire city is mourning his death.

4. (in Canada) a municipality of high rank, usually based on population.

5. (in Great Britain) a borough, usually the seat of a bishop, upon which the dignity of the title has been conferred by the crown.

6. the City,

   1. the major metropolitan center of a region; downtown.

      I'm going to the City to buy clothes and see a show.

   2. the commercial and financial area of London, England.

7. a city-state.

8. (often initial capital letter),  a place, person, or situation having certain features or characteristics (used in combination).

   The party last night was Action City. That guy is dull city.

city

¹

/ ˈsɪtɪ /

noun

1. any large town or populous place

2. (in Britain) a large town that has received this title from the Crown: usually the seat of a bishop

3. (in the US) an incorporated urban centre with its own government and administration established by state charter

4. (in Canada) a similar urban municipality incorporated by the provincial government

5. an ancient Greek city-state; polis

6. the people of a city collectively

7. (modifier) in or characteristic of a city

   a city girl

   city habits

City

²

/ ˈsɪtɪ /

noun

1. short for City of London : the original settlement of London on the N bank of the Thames; a municipality governed by the Lord Mayor and Corporation. Resident pop: 7186 (2001)

2. the area in central London in which the United Kingdom's major financial business is transacted

3. the various financial institutions located in this area

Other Word Forms

• cityless adjective
• citylike adjective
• intercity adjective
• minicity noun
• outcity noun
• procity adjective
• subcity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of city¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English cite, from Anglo-French, Old French cite(t), from Latin cīvitāt-, stem of cīvitās “citizenry, town,” from cīvi(s) “citizen” ( civil ( def. ) ) + -tās -ty ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of city¹

C13: from Old French cité, from Latin cīvitās citizenship, state, from cīvis citizen

Synonym Study

See community.

Example Sentences

Rows of tents - which have sprung up over the city to shelter Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military campaign - have also disappeared over the past month, the images show.

From BBC

I didn’t leave for lack of affection for the city.

From Los Angeles Times

In previous rounds of funding, the city doled out money based on the number of units in a project.

From Los Angeles Times

"To see a player who grew up here, at our club, at Tijuana, go and perform like that - it's special. It's pride for me personally, pride for the club, and pride for the city."

From BBC

In 2023, more than 1,400 people died after a series of 6.3-magnitude earthquakes hit western Afghanistan, near the city of Herat.

From BBC

Related Words

• capital 
• center 
• downtown 
• metropolis 
• municipality 
• place 
• port 

When To Use

What is a basic definition of city?

A city is a place where a large number of people live. The word city is also used to refer to all of the people who live in this kind of place or to something that is related to such a place. The word city has more specific meanings, depending on the country.The plural of city is cities. Generally speaking, a city is a place where a large number of people are gathered together to live and/or work. Cities are typically much larger than places referred to as towns and are known for having homes and apartments placed more closely together than in other places. Different countries have specific definitions of what actually qualifies as a city, but the word is often used generally to describe a place where many people live.Real-life examples: New York City, Tokyo, Paris, London, Moscow, Beijing, Madrid, and Berlin are examples of major cities around the world.Used in a sentence: I grew up in the city of Philadelphia.Playing off of this, the word city is also used to collectively refer to all of the people who live in a city.Real-life examples: A mayor will often give speeches to the city, meaning the people who live there. A parade or festival will also be organized by a city, meaning the city’s government or the citizens of a city.Used in a sentence: The city celebrated New Year’s Eve with a big parade. The word city is also used to describe something that is related to or has the quality of a city.Real-life examples: A city library is a library located in and run by a city. A city bus is a bus owned and operated by a city. A city person is someone who grew up in a city or prefers the life of a city.Used in a sentence: My dad really hates city traffic.