banlieue

noun

ban·​lieue

variants or less commonly banlieu

bäⁿlyœ

plural banlieues also banlieux

"

: the outlying residential area of a city : environs

—often used in plural

trainload after trainload of young men and women from the banlieue was disgorged into the capital

—Max Beerbohm

from the location of all these puppet theaters in the banlieues of town it is evident that they were the resorts … of common people

—Paul McPharlin

Word History

Etymology

French banlieue, from Old French, from ban summoning of the king's vassals, tribute, ban + lieue league, from Late Latin leuca

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!