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city

city

1.0
A large town where many people live and work that has its own local government
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪti/
translation icon : ciudad
  • New York city is known for its towering skyscrapers and vibrant culture.
  • big city
  • large city
  • city street

Do people love your city, yes or no?

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Examples

  • The mayor wants foot patrols in the city.

  • Venice is the most special city in the world.

  • Do people love your city, yes or no?

  • It's one of the great cities in history.

  • Now entrance to the city will be free.

  • Some of the best food in the city.

  • I want you to make up a prayer for the city of Chicago.

  • Ask yourself, if you were founding a city, where would you begin?

  • She moved to his city to be near him.

  • The cultural fusion is woven into life in the city and all of southern Arizona.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

municipality
vscity
63 4.4

A town or city that has its own local government and the people who run it

focuses on the inhabited place rather than the governing body
urban area
vscity
41 2.7

A place with many people and buildings like a city

includes a governing authority and formal status more often than density alone
24 2.4

An area where many people live, like a city or town

means a larger, densely inhabited place that usually has its own government
urban center
vscity
14 3.4

A large city where many people live and work

is usually a single local area with its own government, not a metro core

Idioms

In many places across the city

1 8.5

To try to challenge the government or people in power when success seems unlikely

Compounds

736 1.0

A very large city in the United States known for many landmarks and businesses

155 3.2

The capital and largest city of Kuwait on the Persian Gulf and its main port

97 3.2

The central part of a city where many poor people live and social problems happen

88 2.4

A group of elected people who run a city and make its laws and manage its money

66 1.0

The capital of Mexico and the country's largest city

The capital of Utah near the Great Salt Lake and home to the main offices of the Mormon Church

34 2.2

A building where the mayor and main city government offices are

19 1.4

An area in a city surrounded by streets that usually has several buildings

18 1.1

The main area of a city with most shops and offices

15 4.5

A man or boy who lives in a city and often dresses in smart clothes

city manager
  • Specialized
10 3.5

A person appointed, not elected, to run a city's daily government work

A nickname for Norwich in England for its beautiful old buildings and lively arts

8 5.1

A city that is an independent country with its own government

8 3.9

A woman who lives in a city and likes fashion and busy city life

8 2.5

A line around a city that shows where the city area ends

city slicker
  • Informal
6 6.7

A person from a city who seems well dressed and not used to country life

5 4.1

A very small independent state inside Rome where the Pope lives and the Catholic Church is based

city editor
  • Literature
4 5.1

A newspaper person who manages local news, reporters, and stories

4 3.9

The part of London inside the old boundaries where banks and offices are

4 3.3

The main busy area in the middle of a city where people work and meet

A former royal palace in Beijing now open as a museum

4 2.3

The capital city of Panama where the canal meets the Pacific Ocean

city father
  • Literature
3 7.8

A respected local leader who is often a city council member

city planning
  • Specialized
3 3.3

Designing and managing how buildings, roads, and public spaces are placed in a city

The largest city in southern Vietnam, formerly called Saigon

3 1.8

A city that is the capital of the province of Quebec in Canada, known for French-speaking people and old buildings

the City
  • Jargon
3 6.8

The banks and companies that do the financial business in London

A small historic area in central London that is the main financial district with its own local government and police

2 2.1

A coastal city in northwest Florida known for white sand beaches and fishing

city desk
  • Literature
1 5.3

A team in a newspaper that edits and manages local news

1 3.2

The shape of a city's buildings seen against the sky

1 3.7

A nickname for Detroit, Michigan, known for its car industry

The capital and largest city of Guatemala in Central America

1 3.1

A nickname for Chicago, the large city by Lake Michigan

1 3.0

A boundary that shows where a city ends

A formal speech by the mayor about the city's situation and future plans

A part of a city, like a neighbourhood, used for local government or shown on maps

1 4.7

A country that is only one city and its nearby land

city room
  • Jargon
1 6.6

The part of a newspaper office where reporters and editors prepare local news

A university in a large city that gives students practical courses and links to local jobs

1 5.3

Having the manners and habits of a person raised in a city

1 4.1

Like a city with busy streets and tall buildings

A nickname for the city of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

City of God
  • Literature
1 8.3

A holy place where people believe God and the blessed live after death

1 5.1

A 2002 Brazilian film about young people living in Rio de Janeiro's slums

Holy City
  • Literature
1 8.8

A sacred, perfect place like Heaven where God lives, often in Christian writing

1 1.0

A city in northeast Kansas on the Missouri River next to Kansas City, Missouri

The busy, lively feeling you get from a city's streets and people

1.9

A large port city on Cebu Island in the Philippines

Celestial City
  • Archaic
9.9

A beautiful city in Heaven that good people go to after they die

4.1

A banker who works in a big city's financial area, especially London

A person who works in banks or finance firms in the City of London

2.8

The line that shows where a city or town ends

city man
  • Jargon
7.7

A man who works in banks or financial firms in the City of London

A person who prefers city life and dislikes life in the country

A famous nickname for Paris that comes from its lights and art

A small capital city in the country San Marino in southern Europe

A common name for Los Angeles, known for movies and beaches

A part of central London along the River Thames with landmarks like Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey

Two large bridges that cross the Mississippi River at New Orleans and carry cars

Duke City
  • Informal
8.1

A nickname people use for Albuquerque, New Mexico

Eternal City
  • Literature
5.1

A poetic name for Rome that shows its long history

A building where local government works and holds public meetings

The capital of Luxembourg, a small country, known for its old town and steep cliffs

A common name for Denver, the capital of Colorado, because it is about one mile above sea level

A place with large old earthen mounds built by ancient Native American people in Ohio, United States

Heavenly City
  • Literature
9.6

A perfect, peaceful place often shown as a beautiful city in religious writing

Busy, noisy, and often fast daily life in a city

A busy, confusing city life that feels chaotic and overwhelming

No Fun City
  • Informal
9.9

A place that is boring and has few fun things to do

A peaceful, quiet place in a city that gives people a break from noise

A nickname for Charlotte, the biggest city in North Carolina

A city in northern Michigan on a bay of Lake Michigan popular with visitors and known for cherries

How Big

megacity
  • Specialized
3 3.9
metropolis
175 5.2
city
1.0
town
1.0
village
1.0
hamlet
24 5.0

Surface Forms

city singular
cities plural

Etymology

The word city comes from the old Latin word civitas, which means 'citizens' or 'community' and is the same root as citizen and civil. So a city is a place where many people live together and where local public life and government happen.