suburb
- 01 B1 Intermediate
an area where people live that is outside the center of a city but still part of it.
a residential district situated on the outskirts of a city, typically characterized by lower density than the urban core.
Simple“They decided to move to a quiet suburb so their children could have a garden.”
In context“The rapid expansion of the northern suburbs has led to increased demand for better public transport links to the financial district.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
any specific neighborhood or named area within a large city.
a named administrative or geographical subdivision of a conurbation, regardless of its distance from the city center.
Simple“He lives in a trendy inner-city suburb just a short walk from the harbor.”
In context“The inner-city suburbs have seen significant gentrification over the last decade, with old warehouses being converted into luxury apartments.”
UsageCommonly used in Australia and New Zealand to refer to any urban address location.
Teacher's tipIn American English, a suburb is strictly outside the city limits; in Australian English, even a central neighborhood is called a suburb.
Synonyms
“As the new property manager of Parkwood Apartments, a squat complex of 175 low-rise apartments and townhouses in the San Diego suburbs, she says she excelled.”
“In July 2026, more than 200 community members gathered at Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) in Perth's eastern suburbs.”
From Old French suburbe, subburbe, from Latin suburbium (from sub- (“under-”) + urbs (“city”)). Displaced native Old English underburg (literally “underborough”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.