borough

noun

Synonyms of borough
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
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.
The recent storm on July 18 dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain on parts of the city by early afternoon and put all five boroughs under a flood watch, with warnings reaching into northeast New Jersey. Ravi S. Bhalla, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026 For a film that is set in the biggest city in the United States, the characters manage to cover a lot of ground (and at least three boroughs) in one wild night. Alex Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026 The administration was scrutinized by homeowners across New York City for the public list that was posted online last month, listing names and addresses of residents across the five boroughs, even if their properties were not subject to the tax. Katherine Koretski, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 Hundreds of cooling centers will be open across the five boroughs to help vulnerable New Yorkers escape the heat. Justin Lewis, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for borough

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of borough was before the 12th century

Cite this Entry

“Borough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borough. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

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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