suburb
SUH-burb
Suburb (noun) means a residential area on the edge of a city, with its own local shops and services. Example: “They moved to a quiet suburb to raise their kids.”
noun
1
A residential area on the edge of a city, with its own local shops and services.
"They moved to a quiet suburb to raise their kids."
"Traffic into the city from the suburbs gets worse every year."
"Our house is in a leafy suburb with a good primary school and a small high street."
How to use suburb
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA residential neighborhood just outside the main part of a city.
Common pairings
leafy suburb
move to the suburbs
commute from the suburbs
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Word forms
- Plural
- suburbs
Fill the gap
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They moved to a quiet _____ to raise their kids.
Etymology
From Old French suburbe, from Latin suburbium, from sub- ("near, under") plus urbs ("city").
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “suburb” mean?
The word “suburb” means a residential area on the edge of a city, with its own local shops and services. In plain terms, a residential neighborhood just outside the main part of a city.
How do you pronounce “suburb”?
“Suburb” is pronounced SUH-burb (/ˈsʌbɝb/ in IPA).
How do you use “suburb” in a sentence?
Here is “suburb” used in a sentence: “They moved to a quiet suburb to raise their kids.”
What part of speech is “suburb”?
“Suburb” is a noun.
Where does the word “suburb” come from?
The word “suburb” comes from Latin. From Old French suburbe, from Latin suburbium, from sub- ("near, under") plus urbs ("city").
Is “suburb” a common word?
“Suburb” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
What is the difference between a suburb and a city?
A suburb is a residential area on the edge of a city, typically with its own local shops and services but generally quieter and less densely built than the city center it surrounds. A city is the larger, more central urban area that the suburb sits outside of and usually depends on for major employment and amenities.
What is the difference between a suburb and a town?
A suburb is defined by its relationship to a nearby city, sitting on its edge and often functioning as part of the wider metropolitan area, while a town is typically a self-contained settlement that may or may not be near a larger city. Many suburbs began as separate towns before being absorbed into a growing metropolitan area.
Are suburbs usually residential or commercial?
Suburbs are generally residential in character, though they typically include their own local shops and services to support the people living there, distinguishing them from purely commercial or industrial districts.
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