# suburbia

/səˈbɝbiə/ (US) · /sʌbˈɜːbiə/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/suburbia
Updated: 2026-05-26

## Definition

the area of land and houses that surround a city. It is usually quieter and has more space for gardens than the city center.

For teachers: 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.

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