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

• bourg
• hamlet
• townlet
• vill
• whistle-stop

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

About 45 minutes from Annecy is La Clusaz, a ski village spread across five mountains and more than 80 miles of predominantly intermediate trails. —Michael Venutolo-Mantovani, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Dec. 2024

She was later found at a property in the Nottingham village of Wollaton and returned to her parents, Roger and Karen Humphries, the BBC reported. —Escher Walcott, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024

The story follows cousins José and Úrsula who marry against their families’ wishes and leave their village to find a new home. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

The heavy rains triggered massive mudslides, dislodging rocks and trees that swept down mountainsides into villages, burying homes and cars. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

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

Kids Definition

village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvil-ij 

1

: a place somewhat smaller than a town

2

: the people living in a village