ENGLISH
REFERENCE

suburban

adj. · n.
US //səˈbɝbən// UK //səbˈɜːbən// sub·ur·ban
  1. 1 location near a city (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    relating to the areas where people live that are just outside a city center.

    situated in or characteristic of a suburb; relating to the residential outskirts of a metropolitan area.

    Example

    They decided to move to a suburban neighborhood to have more space for the children.

    Example

    The rapid expansion of suburban developments has led to increased traffic congestion on the main arteries leading into the city center.
  2. 2 a person (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Formal

    a person who lives in a suburb.

    a resident of a suburb; a person whose lifestyle and values are associated with suburban living.

    Example

    The local council held a meeting to hear the concerns of the suburbans regarding the new park.

    Example

    As a lifelong suburban, she found the constant noise and frantic pace of the capital city quite overwhelming.
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  1. 3 a type of vehicle (n.)
    C1 Advanced American English

    a large vehicle, like a truck, that has a long body for carrying many passengers.

    a large sport utility vehicle or station wagon built on a truck chassis, designed for high passenger and cargo capacity.

    Example

    The family loaded their camping gear into the back of the suburban and headed for the mountains.

    Example

    The heavy-duty suburban proved essential for transporting the entire research team and their equipment across the rugged terrain.
    • SUV
    • station wagon
Origin

From Latin suburbanus, from prefix sub- (“under”) + urbs (“city”) + -anus (“adjective suffix”), equivalent to sub- + urban.

Word family

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