City

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsɪti/, North of England IPA: /sɪtɪ/
• Rhymes: -ɪti
• Hyphenation: cit + y

Alternative forms

• cyte 13th - 16th centuries

Origin

From Middle English cite, from Old French cité, from Latin cīvitās ("a union of citizens, a citizenry"). Displaced native Middle English burgh, borough ("fortified place, city") (Modern English borough) and sted, stede ("place, city") (modern English stead).

Full definition of city

Noun

1. A large settlement, bigger than a town.
   São Paulo is one of the largest cities in South America.
• 2014-06-14, It's a gas, One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedure except vaccination.
2. (Australia) The central business district; downtown.
   I'm going into the city today to do some shopping.

Derived terms

Related terms

• civic
• civil