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suburb Meaning & Definition

ˈsə-ˌbərb

What Does Suburb Mean?

As a noun, suburb means an outlying part of a city or town. It is also used to mean a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a city.

Suburb in Brief

Part of speechnoun
Pronunciation/ˈsə-ˌbərb/
Syllables2
Synonymssuburbia and suburban area
Pluralsuburbs

Suburb Definition (Noun)

  1. an outlying part of a city or town
  2. a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a city
  3. the residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town
  4. the near vicinity : environs

Synonyms of Suburb

Suburb synonyms and antonyms →

Word Forms & Grammar

sub·ur·ban adjective or noun

sub·ur·ban·ite noun

suburb

suburban

suburbanite

suburbanites

suburbans

suburbs

suburb (plural suburbs)

Origin of Suburb

Origin 1: Middle English suburbe, from Anglo-French, from Latin suburbium, from sub- near + urbs city sub-

Origin 2: From Old French suburbe, subburbe, from Latin suburbium (from sub- (“under-”) +‎ urbs (“city”)). Displaced native Old English underburg (literally “underborough”).

First Known Use

14th century

How to Pronounce Suburb

You say suburb as /ˈsə-ˌbərb/. It has 2 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (sə).

Common Questions About Suburb

What part of speech is suburb?

Suburb is a noun.

What is another word for suburb?

You can replace suburb with words such as suburbia and suburban area. See the full list of suburb synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of suburb?

The plural of suburb is suburbs.

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