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in the suburbs

in the suburbs

49 1.0
Areas outside a city center where people live
  • idiom
translation icon : en las afueras
  • Living in the suburbs allows families to have more space and a yard for the kids.
  • live in the suburbs
  • located in the suburbs
  • a house in the suburbs

So John and Joyce Sheridan lived in the suburbs outside of Princeton.

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Examples

Synonyms

neighborhood
vsin the suburbs
  • US
1.8

An area in a town or city where people live near each other

means being in such local areas but specifically in outer city parts
suburb
vsin the suburbs
286 2.7

An area just outside a city with many houses where people live

indicates being situated within those housing areas outside the city center
vicinity
vsin the suburbs
129 3.7

The area near a place, for example shops or houses

refers to being in those nearby areas specifically when they are outside the city center
residential area
vsin the suburbs
16 2.1

Part of a town where people live in houses or apartments

marks being in such housing zones specifically outside the city center
burb
vsin the suburbs
  • Informal
13 8.6

A place outside a city where many people live, with houses and parks

is the neutral locational expression meaning being in those areas
suburbia
vsin the suburbs
13 4.2

Areas just outside a city where many people live

emphasizes physical location in those housing areas rather than social life
suburban area
vsin the suburbs
5 2.7

A residential area near a city with family homes and quieter streets

is used to describe being in those outer housing districts rather than downtown
faubourg
vsin the suburbs
  • US
1 9.9

A neighborhood outside the old part of a city, often in New Orleans

is the general locative phrase without regional or historical connotations
residential district
vsin the suburbs
1 3.1

An area of a town or city with mostly houses and apartments

specifies being in those districts but specifically outside the central city area
quiet burb
vsin the suburbs
  • Informal
7.7

A small town near a city where people live quietly

specifies being in outer housing areas without implying quiet character
outskirts
vsin the suburbs
3.0

Parts of a town or city that are far from the center

refers to being located in those outer parts but emphasizes housing areas

Antonyms

18 1.1

The main area of a city with most shops and offices

How Urban

city center
  • US
18 1.1
in the suburbs
49 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

in + the + suburb

The meaning 'in the residential areas situated outside the center of a city' is directly and compositionally derived from 'in' (location) + 'the' (definite article) + 'suburbs' (residential areas on a city's edge). This standard preposition + noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows ordinary locative composition, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

In the suburbs comes from the simple image of houses and quiet streets built just outside the busy town centre, where people lived near but outside the city. That's why in the suburbs means 'in the residential area outside the city'.