city

noun

ˈsi-tē 

plural cities

often attributive

1

a

: an inhabited place of greater size, population, or importance than a town or village

We spent the weekend in the city.

b

: an incorporated British town usually of major size or importance having the status of an episcopal see

c capitalized

(1)

: the financial district of London

(2)

: the influential financial interests of the British economy

d

: a usually large or important municipality in the U.S. governed under a charter granted by the state

e

: an incorporated municipal unit of the highest class in Canada

2

: city-state

3

: the people of a city

The city rebelled against the oppressive government.

4

slang : a thing, event, or situation that is strongly characterized by a specified quintessential feature or quality

The movie was shoot-out city.

Getting lost in the maze was panic city.

Synonyms

• asphalt jungle
• burg
• cosmopolis
• megacity
• megalopolis
• metropolis
• municipality
• town

Examples of city in a Sentence

major cities like London, Tokyo, and Rome

The city is working to make the streets safer.

a lawsuit against the city

Recent Examples on the Web

In between, the Rolling Stones will visit cities including Las Vegas, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Chicago. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 29 Apr. 2024

This is the first year the foundation has participated in the event, which runs for almost two months (from March 8 through May 5) and takes over five cities in Baja, including Tijuana, Ensenada, San José, Todos Santos and La Paz. —Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Apr. 2024

Leigh will also host a masterclass at the festival, the second edition of which is taking place June 22 to 30 in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. —Ellise Shafer, Variety, 29 Apr. 2024

Since 2019, according to a recent academic study, downtown street foot traffic has fallen by an average of twenty-six per cent in America’s fifty-two biggest cities. —D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2024

The Star, however, through a Kansas Opens Records Act request to the city of De Soto, received a copy of an application for city economic incentives completed by Rhodes in January 2023 that, at that time, set the price of the project at $55 million. —Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2024

She was asked whether her family is worried if a potential Israeli invasion of the Gaza city of Rafah, to further target Hamas fighters, could threaten her uncle's safety. —Abc News, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2024

What are the top 10 worst cities for particle pollution? —Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 27 Apr. 2024

But unlike those big cities, Grants Pass doesn't have the same forms of assistance to offer unhoused residents, Evangelis said. —Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English citie large or small town, from Anglo-French cité, from Medieval Latin civitat-, civitas, from Latin, citizenship, state, city of Rome, from civis citizen — more at hind

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing city

• anti-city
• big-city
• central city
• city centre
• city clerk
• city council
• city desk
• city editor
• city father
• city hall
• city manager
• city planning
• city room
• city slicker
• city-state
• core city
• edge city
• fat city
• free city
• garden city
• holy city
• independent city
• inner city
• inter-city
• open city
• sister city
• tent city
• the big city
• the city

Kids Definition

city

noun

ˈsit-ē 

plural cities

1

: a place in which people live that is larger or more important than a town

2

: the people of a city

Etymology

Middle English citie "large or small town," from early French cité (same meaning), derived from Latin civitas "state of being a resident of a town, citizenship," from civis "citizen" — related to citizen, civil