Word
suburban
Phoneticssub·ur·ban, stress on the second syllable
US/səˈbɝbən/
UK/səbˈɜːbən/
Definitions
01location near a city
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. relating to the areas where people live that are just outside a city center.
adj. situated in or characteristic of a suburb; relating to the residential outskirts of a metropolitan area.
“They decided to move to a suburban neighborhood to have more space for the children.”
“The rapid expansion of suburban developments has led to increased traffic congestion on the main arteries leading into the city center.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02a person
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Formal
n. a person who lives in a suburb.
n. a resident of a suburb; a person whose lifestyle and values are associated with suburban living.
“The local council held a meeting to hear the concerns of the suburbans regarding the new park.”
“As a lifelong suburban, she found the constant noise and frantic pace of the capital city quite overwhelming.”
Synonyms
03a type of vehicle
C1 · Advanced Countable noun American English
n. a large vehicle, like a truck, that has a long body for carrying many passengers.
n. a large sport utility vehicle or station wagon built on a truck chassis, designed for high passenger and cargo capacity.
“The family loaded their camping gear into the back of the suburban and headed for the mountains.”
“The heavy-duty suburban proved essential for transporting the entire research team and their equipment across the rugged terrain.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “suburban” in context.
Verb
01. embrace suburban life
“After years of living in cramped apartments, they were ready to embrace suburban life.”
verb + adj + noun
02. escape suburban boredom
“Many teenagers in the area take the bus into the city to escape suburban boredom on the weekends.”
verb + adj + noun
Adjective
03. distinctly suburban feel
“Despite being close to the industrial zone, the neighborhood maintains a distinctly suburban feel.”
adv + adj + noun
04. leafy suburban street
“The family moved to a quiet, leafy suburban street to escape the noise of the city center.”
adj + noun + noun
Noun
05. suburban commuter
“The new express train service was designed specifically to cater to the suburban commuter.”
adj + noun
06. suburban development
“The council approved a massive suburban development that will add five hundred new homes to the area.”
adj + noun
07. suburban sprawl
“Environmentalists are concerned about the rapid suburban sprawl encroaching on the local wetlands.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“It’s great for light errand-running, and it’s fantastic if you live where it gets uncomfortably hot for part of the year, letting you avoid using a car in urban and suburban areas.” “Sleazeball French modelling scout Daniel Siad was – naturally – discovered dead in his suburban Paris home by a young female guest.” “From one full-up charge, a mixture of suburban and highway driving yielded 320 total miles (514 km) of range.” “To determine what happens to these chemicals during fireworks displays, researchers measured amines in both gases and airborne particles during Lunar New Year celebrations in a suburban area of China.” Etymology
From Latin suburbanus, from prefix sub- (“under”) + urbs (“city”) + -anus (“adjective suffix”), equivalent to sub- + urban.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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