plural cities
Synonyms of city
often attributive
1
a
: an inhabited place of greater size, population, or importance than a town or village
We spent the weekend in the city.
b
: an incorporated British town usually of major size or importance having the status of an episcopal see
c City
(1)
: the financial district of London
(2)
: the influential financial interests of the British economy
d
: a usually large or important municipality in the U.S. governed under a charter granted by the state
e
: an incorporated municipal unit of the highest class in Canada
2
3
: the people of a city
The city rebelled against the oppressive government.
4
slang : a thing, event, or situation that is strongly characterized by a specified quintessential feature or quality
The movie was shoot-out city.
Getting lost in the maze was panic city.

Examples of city in a Sentence

major cities like London, Tokyo, and Rome The city is working to make the streets safer. a lawsuit against the 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.
Later in the day, the Houthis claimed an attack on Saudi forces, warehouses, vehicles and military equipment at the Sahn al-Jinn camp, a major military base located north of the center of Marib city. Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 Several Georgia counties and cities have curtailed data center projects in the face of backlash, including Atlanta. Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Some Inglewood business owners are voicing their opinions as a city plan to tear down their shopping center to build a transit connector nears. Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 Daemon struggles to his feet, dazed, and begins cleaving his way through the smouldering city. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for city

Word History

Etymology

Middle English citie large or small town, from Anglo-French cité, from Medieval Latin civitat-, civitas, from Latin, citizenship, state, city of Rome, from civis citizen — more at hind

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of city was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“City.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/city. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

plural cities
1
: a place in which people live that is larger or more important than a town
2
: the people of a city
Etymology

Middle English citie "large or small town," from early French cité (same meaning), derived from Latin civitas "state of being a resident of a town, citizenship," from civis "citizen" — related to citizen, civil

More from Merriam-Webster on city

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