1
a
: a compactly settled area usually larger than a village but smaller than a city
b
: a compactly settled area as distinguished from surrounding rural territory
c
: a large densely populated urban area : city
d
: an English village having a periodic fair or market
2
: a particular town or city under consideration
the circus came to town
3
: the city or urban life as contrasted with the country
4
a
: the inhabitants of a city or town
practically the whole town turned out for the parade
b
: the townspeople of a college or university town as distinct from the academic community
relations between town and gown
5
: a New England territorial and political unit usually containing under a single town government both rural areas and urban areas not having their own charter of incorporation
also
: a New England community governed by a town meeting
6
dialectal, England
: a cluster or aggregation of houses recognized as a distinct place with a place-name : hamlet
7
: a group of prairie dog burrows
town
adjective
see also on the town
Examples of town in a Sentence
the town of Jackson, Florida
The nearest shopping mall is two towns away.
The town plans to increase property taxes.
We're heading to town later on.
Recent Examples on the Web
In a situation where the availability of affordable housing stock is shrinking and the possibility of demand increasing, the Chiefs coming to town could present more housing needs, Baughman said.
—
Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 10 Jan. 2026
In a statement, a town spokesperson said the event's legacy will continue in new ways.
—Robbie Owens, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
But the coastal town is stunning year-round and stays warm through the spring and fall, so visitors may want to take advantage of pleasant shoulder-season days on the coast.
—Liz Provencher, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2026
Netflix’s new murder-mystery thriller series starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal, based on the novel by Alice Feeney, is a twisty drama about a string of murders in a small town outside of Atlanta.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for town
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.
Cite this Entry
“Town.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/town. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Kids Definition
town
noun1
a
: a compactly settled area that is usually larger than a village but smaller than a city
b
2
: the people of a town
town
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share