township

noun

town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship 

1

a

: town sense 5

b

: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states usually having a chief administrative officer or board

c

: an unorganized subdivision of the county in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont

d

: an electoral and administrative district of the county in the southern U.S.

2

: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 sections or 36 square miles

3

: an area in the Republic of South Africa that was segregated under apartheid for occupation by persons of non-European descent

4

: an ancient unit of administration in England identical in area with or a division of a parish

Examples of township in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Her targets include some familiar ones, such as the state’s overabundance of taxing bodies like townships and various obscure districts. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026

Much of the country is now enmeshed in a brutal civil war, and security concerns meant voting in the recent election could be held in only 263 of the country’s 330 townships. —ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026

And Jennifer Stainton became the first Republican to win as Mundy Township supervisor in a century, beating Ketzler on an anti-megasite campaign and immediately canceling township NDAs. —CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026

The story centers on the daughter of a water tycoon who joins forces with a township gangster to challenge the powerful system that divides their society. —Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Kids Definition

township

noun

town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship 

1

: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states

2

: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 square miles (about 93 square kilometers)