townsman

noun

towns·​man ˈtau̇nz-mən How to pronounce townsman (audio)
1
a
: a native or resident of a town or city
b
: an urban or urbane person
2
: a fellow citizen of a town

Examples of townsman in a Sentence

thousands of townsmen turned out to vote on the school budget
Recent Examples on the Web Whereas most of the townsmen had a stronger right upper arm bone than the left—suggesting difficult physical labor—some men buried on the hospital grounds had symmetrical arm bones, and their skeletal remains suggested a relatively long and healthy life. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023 From the Wizard of Oz, the company sold two costume pieces that will now live at the Wizard of Oz Museum in Cape Canaveral, Florida: a prototype of the blue-and-white gingham dress Dorothy wore while visiting the Wizard for $125,000 and a jacket worn by a townsman in the Emerald City for $37,500. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2022 Mountaineers and townsmen of eastern Tennessee cam in hundreds to pack the auditorium. sandiegouniontribune.com, 11 July 2018 Our esteemed fellow-townsman Dr. Arnold is making a tour of Boise County on professional business. Arthur Hart, idahostatesman, 2 Mar. 2018 For decades after Jenkins-Davis' murder, there were no arrests in the case, and that created suspicion that Martinsville police were protecting a townsman. Will Higgins, Indianapolis Star, 2 Nov. 2017 As his friend Carl Foreman sought help, Cooper was less like Will Kane and more like the townsman who first offers to stand with the marshal but then, when no one else joins the effort, backs out. Douglass K. Daniel, Orange County Register, 16 Apr. 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of townsman was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near townsman

Cite this Entry

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

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