suburb

noun

sub·​urb ˈsə-ˌbərb How to pronounce suburb (audio)
1
a
: an outlying part of a city or town
b
: a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a city
c
suburbs plural : the residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town
2
suburbs plural : the near vicinity : environs
suburban adjective or noun
suburbanite noun

Did you know?

The Suburbs vs. the Urbs

Given that most of the common words in our language beginning sub- tend to have meanings concerned with “beneath” (as in subterranean and submarine) or “less than” (as with subpar), you would be forgiven for assuming that the suburbs were so named because of their location below, or their status as less than, their urban counterparts. Not so, however: sub- may have other meanings at the beginning of a word; in this case, it indicates not depth or inferiority, but proximity. In other words, the suburbs are a region close to the urbs.

Is urbs an English word? Yes; it is rarely used, but it refers typically to a city, particularly when distinguished from a suburb.

Examples of suburb in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Up to a foot or so of snow from the duo fell in our western suburbs. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 Wauwatosa is now pursuing funds for a sustainability manager position to be shared between Milwaukee-area suburbs. Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024 The couple took their invention on the road, traveling to a trade show in the Chicago suburbs. Alex Traub, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 In addition to their new Montecito digs, Brolin and his wife Kathryn also maintain a mansion in the Atlanta suburbs and a spacious but relatively unassuming house in California’s Simi Valley. James McClain, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024 Dollar Tree, which focuses more on middle-income shoppers in suburbs, bought Family Dollar in 2015 for $8.5 billion. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Allegheny County emergency dispatchers said the blast in Crescent Township in the northwest Pittsburgh suburbs was reported shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday. Pilar Arias, Fox News, 13 Mar. 2024 With Republicans holding a razor-thin three-seat majority and California home to several swing seats, control of Congress in 2025 could very well be decided by voters in Golden State suburbs. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024 With a telescope, the show’s visitors can also peer across the gray roofs of Paris to Invader’s latest milestone: his 1,500th mosaic in the Olympic host city and its suburbs. John Leicester, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'suburb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English suburbe, from Anglo-French, from Latin suburbium, from sub- near + urbs city — more at sub-

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of suburb was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near suburb

Cite this Entry

“Suburb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suburb. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

suburb

noun
sub·​urb ˈsəb-ˌərb How to pronounce suburb (audio)
1
a
: a part of a city or town near its outer edge
b
: a smaller community close to a city
2
plural : the area of homes close to or surrounding a city
suburban adjective or noun
Etymology

Middle English suburb "part around the outer edge of a city," from early French (same meaning), from Latin suburbium (same meaning), from sub "under, close to" and urbs "city"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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