urban
pronunciation
How to pronounce urban in British English:
UK [ˈɜːbən]
How to pronounce urban in American English:
US [ˈɜːrbən]
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- Adjective:
- relating to or concerned with a city or densely populated area
- located in or characteristic of a city or city life
Word Origin
- urban
- urban: [17] Urban comes from Latin urbānus, a derivative of urbs ‘city’ (a word of unknown origin). It was preceded into English by urbane [16], which is essentially the same word, but came via Old French urbaine. It was originally used as urban is now, but after urban arrived it gradually took the metaphorical path to ‘smooth, sophisticated’. The derivatives suburb and suburban date from the 14th and 17th centuries respectively; and suburbia was coined in the 1890s.=> suburban, urbane
- urban (adj.)
- "characteristic of city life, pertaining to cities or towns," 1610s (but rare before 1830s), from Latin urbanus "of or pertaining to a city or city life; in Rome," also "in city fashion, polished, refined, cultivated, courteous," but also sometimes "witty, facetious, bold, impudent;" as a noun, "city dweller," from urbs (genitive urbis) "city, walled town," of unknown origin. The word gradually emerged in this sense as urbane became restricted to manners and styles of expression. In late 20c. American English gradually acquiring a suggestion of "African-American." Urban renewal, euphemistic for "slum clearance," is attested from 1955, American English. Urban sprawl recorded by 1958. Urban legend attested by 1980.
- Urban
- masc. proper name, from Latin urbanus "refined, courteous," literally "of a city" (see urban).
Synonym
Example
- 1. Urban regeneration is not a fresh discipline .
- 2. Surely an urban myth , I hear you cry .
- 3. We desperately need a new manifesto for urban living .
- 4. Some had begun to build adjacent strips of shops , which they filled with boutiques in an attempt to re-create urban shopping districts .
- 5. Where do urban africans get buried ?