inner city

noun

: the usually older, poorer, and more densely populated central section of a city
inner-city adjective

Examples of inner city in a Sentence

The mayor is trying to attract new businesses to the inner city.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Imagine if two twins are separated at birth and raised in different homes: one on a farm with pets and one in the inner city. Breanne Hayes Haney, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025 Researchers began excavating the Xiongan site in 2017, working their way from the outer city to the inner city and discovering the Tang Dynasty temple where the dragon was found in 2023 as well as other ceramics and Buddhist relics. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2025 Only the wealthiest resided in the inner city, made up the raja’s court, and decided the fate of the kingdom’s people—yet never ventured outside the sixty-foot-tall iron gate to mingle or empathize. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 20 Feb. 2025 In fact, my mother's high school, Eastside, is featured in Lean On Me, the Black film classic that details the true story of Paterson's own Principal Joe Clark, an educator who went to extreme lengths to help improve the test scores and livelihoods of Black students at the inner city school. Dria James, refinery29.com, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inner city

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inner city was in 1958

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Cite this Entry

“Inner city.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inner%20city. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

inner city

noun
: the usually older and more heavily populated central section of a city
inner-city adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on inner city

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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