Word
suburbia
Phoneticssub·ur·bia
US/səˈbɝbiə/
UK/sʌbˈɜːbiə/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. the area of land and houses that surround a city. It is usually quieter and has more space for gardens than the city center.
n. the residential areas that lie on the outskirts of a city. Often used to describe a specific social or cultural environment characterized by detached housing and a car-dependent lifestyle.
Examples
“Many families move to suburbia to find a bigger house.”
“After working in the crowded city center all week, he looked forward to the quiet of suburbia on the weekends.”
“The rapid expansion of suburbia during the mid-twentieth century fundamentally altered the urban landscape, shifting the economic and social gravity of the metropolis toward its periphery.”
Examples
simple
“Many families move to suburbia to find a bigger house.”
contextual
“After working in the crowded city center all week, he looked forward to the quiet of suburbia on the weekends.”
complex
“The rapid expansion of suburbia during the mid-twentieth century fundamentally altered the urban landscape, shifting the economic and social gravity of the metropolis toward its periphery.”
Etymology
PIE word *upó From suburb + -ia (suffix forming abstract nouns, the names of collections of things, etc.), perhaps modelled after Latin suburbia (“suburbs”), the plural of suburbium.
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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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