village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvi-lij 

often attributive

1

a

: a settlement usually larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town

b

: an incorporated minor municipality

2

: the residents of a village

3

: something (such as an aggregation of burrows or nests) suggesting a village

4

: a territorial area having the status of a village especially as a unit of local government

Synonyms

• hamlet

Examples of village in a Sentence

Entire villages come to see the parade.

we stayed in a charming bed-and-breakfast in a lakeside village

Recent Examples on the Web

La Push, also featured in the saga, is a Quileute village, with beautiful, remote beaches great for strolls, surfing, and storm-watching. —Christina Fang, Travel + Leisure, 22 Oct. 2025

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on the shores of Lake Michigan features miles of sand beach, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna, towering bluffs, an island lighthouse, coastal villages, picturesque farmsteads and more. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025

The djembe is a speaking drum, used historically in African villages to relay messages and information across the environment, and it’s used to lead dances, telling dancers when to change a step, start, and end. —Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025

Now open, the Activity Yard is an all-access pass to farmyard fun featuring Tiny Town – a pint-sized kids village – hillside slide, paint-a-farm-truck, farm animals, corn bin, bubble stations and more. —Katie Nixon, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French vilage, from vil manorial estate, farmstead, from Latin villa

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing village

• global village
• inter-village
• Potemkin village

Rhymes for village

• millage
• pillage
• spillage

Kids Definition

village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvil-ij 

1

: a place somewhat smaller than a town

2

: the people living in a village