borough

noun

bor·​ough ˈbər-(ˌ)ō 

ˈbə-(ˌ)rō

1

a

: a medieval fortified group of houses forming a town with special duties and privileges

b

: a town or urban constituency in Great Britain that sends a member to Parliament

c

: an urban area in Great Britain incorporated for purposes of self-government

2

a

: a municipal corporation proper in some states (such as New Jersey and Minnesota) corresponding to the incorporated town or village of the other states

b

: one of the five constituent political divisions of New York City

3

: a civil division of the state of Alaska corresponding to a county in most other states

Examples of borough in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For the 900,000 residents and 260,000 workers who live and work within a half mile of the line, the IBX would mean those who are underserved by our transit system could travel between our two boroughs without going through Manhattan. —Antonio Reynoso, New York Daily News, 19 Jan. 2025

Malkin lives in Sewickley Heights, Pa., a borough of about 900 people. —Rob Rossi, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025

The festival site is easily accessible by public transportation, with train stops just a few minutes’ walk away — either the subway from New York’s five boroughs or the Long Island Railroad from points east. —Jem Aswad, Variety, 14 Jan. 2025

Then there are the buzzing boroughs of Palermo, where boutique respites like Home Hotel and Legado Mitico Buenos Aires make for an intimate stay, and the waterfront area of Puerto Madero, where the SLS opened its first-ever hotel in South America. —Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English burgh, from Old English burg fortified town; akin to Old High German burg fortified place, and probably to Old English beorg hill — more at barrow

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing borough

• borough English
• borough hall
• county borough
• inter-borough
• metropolitan borough
• municipal borough
• pocket borough
• rotten borough

Kids Definition

borough

noun

bor·​ough ˈbər-ō 

1

a

: a town or urban area in Great Britain that sends a member to Parliament

b

: a self-governing urban area in Great Britain

2

: a self-governing town or village in some states

3

: one of the five political divisions of New York City