city
UK [ˈsɪtʰiː] · US /ˈsɪt.i/ [ˈsɪɾ.i] noun, proper noun
Forms cities the City citie cittie cyte cytee
- noun A large settlement, bigger than a town; sometimes with a specific legal definition, depending on the place. “São Paulo is the largest city in South America.”
- noun (UK, historical in Ireland and Commonwealth) A settlement granted special status by royal charter or letters patent; traditionally, a settlement with a cathedral regardless of size.
- noun (Australia) The central business district; downtown. “I'm going into the city today to do some shopping.”
- noun (slang) A large amount of something (used after the noun). “It’s video game city in here!”
- proper noun (soccer, informal) Manchester City Football Club, an English football club. “City will reportedly look to have a fee for Aguero.”
- proper noun (UK) The City of London, the historic core of London where the Roman settlement of Londinium was established.
- proper noun (UK) The United Kingdom's financial industries, which are principally based in the City of London.
- proper noun (New York) The borough of Manhattan, the historic core of New York.
- proper noun Any of several other cities in metropolitan areas (such as San Francisco).
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English cite, derived from Old French cite, derived from Late Latin cīvitātem (“city”), in Classical Latin "citizenry", derived from cīvis (“fellow-citizen”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- (“lie down; settle”). Cognate with Old English hīwan pl (“members of one's household, servants”). See hewe. Doublet of civitas. Mostly displaced native Old English burg, whence Modern English borough.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A large town.
- noun A corporate town; in the United States, a town or collective body of inhabitants, incorporated and governed by a mayor and aldermen or a city council consisting of a board of aldermen and a common council; in Great Britain, a town corporate, which is or has been the seat of a bishop, or the capital of his see. A city is a town incorporated; which is, or has been, the see of a bishop; and though the bishopric has been dissolved, as at Westminster, it yet remaineth a city. Blackstone When Gorges constituted York a city, he of course meant it to be the seat of a bishop, for the word city has no o
- adjective Of or pertaining to a city. Shak. City council. See under Council.
Etymology [OE. cite, F. citcivitas citizenship, state, city, fr. civis citizen; akin to Goth. heiwa (in heiwafrauja man of the house), AS. heirath marriage, prop., providing a house, E. hind a peasant.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “city”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details