urban

comparative more urban · superlative most urban · alternative urbane

1. Of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or happening or located in, a city or town; of, pertaining to, or characteristic of life in such a place, especially when contrasted with the countryside.

   urban life

   3 more examples

   urban traffic

   As towns continue to grow, replanting vegetation has become a form of urban utopia and green roofs are spreading fast. Last year 1m square metres of plant-covered roofing was built in France, as much as in the US, and 10 times more than in Germany, the pioneer in this field. In Paris 22 hectares of roof have been planted, out of a potential total of 80 hectares.

   2013 May 10, Audrey Garric, “Urban canopies let nature bloom”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 22, archived from the original on 02 Oct 2022, page 30

   Parkour – often referred to as freerunning – entails creatively moving through an urban environment: flipping, jumping and vaulting across various obstacles.

   2022 June 16, Issy Ronald, “Meet the parkour athletes defying fear and gravity at Red Bull Art of Motion”, in CNN, archived from the original on 26 Jun 2022

2. Living in a city or town.

   The Epithets of myce are thes; ſhort, ſmall, fearful, peaceable, ridiculous, ruſtik, or country mouſe, vrbane, or citty mouſe, […]

   1607, Conradus Gesnerus [i.e., Conrad Gessner]; Edward Topsell, “Of the Vulgar Little Mouse”, in The Historie of Foure-footed Beastes. […], London: […] William Iaggard, →OCLC, page 504

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   Inſomuch, as thoſe citizens vvere reputed for cheeſe and principall, vvho vvere poſſeſſed of land and living in the countrey: and theſe made the State, called the Ruſtick Tribes, in Rome: vvheras contrarivviſe the other eſtate, reputed the meaner in degree, vvas named the Vrbane Tribes; conſiſting of Artiſanes & ſuch like as vvere not landed perſons: into vvhich, if a man vvere transferred from any of the reſt, it vvas thought a great ſhame and diſgrace, as if hee vvere reproched for idleneſſe and negligence in husbandrie.

   1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XVIII.] Of Iugerum, and Actus. Of the Ancient Lawes Ordained for Cattell in Old Time. How Often and at what Times Corn and Victuals were Exceeding Cheape at Rome. What Noble and Famous Persons Addicted Themselves Wholly to Husbandrie and Tillage..”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, pages 550–551

3. Having authority or jurisdiction over a city or town.

   All theſe Magiſtrats are but temporary, and have a time limited them; the Urbane or Citty Magiſtrats ſome of them continue in office 6. months, others 8. months, others are annuall; […]

   1651, James Howell, “Of Officers or Magistrats in Generall”, in S.P.Q.V.: A Survay of the Signorie of Venice, […], London: […] Richard Lowndes […], →OCLC, page 16

4. USarchaicproscribedRelating to contemporary African American culture, especially in music.
5. UKUSeuphemisticoffensiveOf an inhabitant or resident: black; African-American.

plural Urbans

1. countableuncommonuncountableA male given name from Latin.
2. countableuncountableA surname originating as a patronymic.
3. countableuncountablebiblicalAn early Christian, also Urbane and Urbanus in various versions of the Bible.

   Grete wel Vrban, oure helpere in Crist Jhesus, and Stacchen, my derlyng.

   1380s, Wycliffe translation of the Bible, Romans 16:9

4. abbreviationcountableellipsisinformaluncountablehuman sciencesEllipsis of Urban Dictionary.

   You have to go "Urban" to resolve this one......

   2003 December 29, Sarge, “Palm OS 4.1”, in alt.computer (Usenet), archived from the original on 03 Jul 2026

   2 more examples

   Or my Oxford English Dictionary (OED), do you think I can get Urban to mainstream it for me?

   2000 March 13, Christopher Flather, “i'm bored”, in alt.pro-wrestling.wwf (Usenet), archived from the original on 03 Jul 2026

   If someone tweets or Gchats you a term you don’t understand, you can just fire up Urban to find the definition.

   2014 September 12, Hannah Jane Parkinson, “The ultimate glossary of all things internet: from 4chan to Zynga”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 12 Sep 2014