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
During an emergency meeting on Saturday night, Masontown borough council voted 6-0 to reinstate its police department after council initially voted on Monday to lay off the entire department, citing budgetary reasons as the leading factor for the decision.
—
Erika Stanish, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
That’s why our Five Borough Jobs Campaign — the only group in New York City representing businesses of all sizes in every borough — is proposing a comprehensive, proactive agenda to address the front line challenges our members face with resources and clarity.
—Tom Grech, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
And with each one, there’s a new name, paying homage to the neighborhood or borough where it was created.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 Jan. 2026
Winslow, 61, who was born and raised in New York, regularly travels to New York City with a group of non-professional photographers to take pictures across the five boroughs.
—Wendy Grossman Kantor, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Borough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borough. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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
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