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

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