citycit‧y /ˈsɪti/ ●●● S1 W1 noun (plural cities) [countable] 
The nearest big city was St. Louis. → inner city2a)British English a large town that has been given an official title by a king or queen: the city of Oxford b)American English a town of any size that has definite borders and powers that were officially given by the state government: The city of Cleveland celebrated its 200th birthday with fireworks and an outdoor concert.3[usually singular] the people who live in a city: The city has been living in fear since last week’s earthquake.4 the city American English the government of a city: The city is working to improve public transportation. → CityCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesa big/large/major city· They have stores in Houston, Dallas, and other big cities.a great city (=very important and interesting)· Cairo is one of the world's great cities.a capital city (=where the government of a country or state is)· Cuba's capital city is Havana.somebody's home/native city (=where they were born or grew up)· He said that he never wanted to leave his home city.a cosmopolitan city (=full of people from different parts of the world)· San Francisco is a very cosmopolitan city.an industrial city· Sheffield is an industrial city in the north of England.a provincial city (=in a part of the country that is not near the capital)· There have been protests in the capital and in provincial cities.an ancient city· the ancient city of Jerusalema historic city (=very old and with an interesting history)· Budapest is a beautiful and historic city.a cathedral city (=with a cathedral)· He went to university in the cathedral city of Durham.a university city (=with a university)· Uppsala is a university city.a walled city (=surrounded by a wall)· the old walled city of Algheroa twin city British English (=one that has a special relationship with a similar town in another country)· Strasbourg is Leicester's twin city in France.city + NOUNthe city centre British English, the city center American English· The hotel is in the city centre.the city limits American English (=the furthest parts of the city)· rural areas south of the city limitscity life· the advantages of city lifea city dweller (=someone who lives in a city)· In the summer, city dwellers escape to the sea.a city street· Traffic was moving slowly along the city streets.phrasesin the heart of a city· The cathedral is right in the heart of the city.the outskirts of a city (=the edge)· There were several bombings on the outskirts of the city.verbsfound a city (=start developing a new city)· He founded the city of Baghdad in the 8th century.THESAURUSplace with houses, shops, and officescity a large area with houses, shops, offices etc that is often the centre of government for an area. A city is bigger than a town: · The nearest big city is San Francisco.town a large area with houses, shops, offices etc. A town is smaller than a city: · La Coruña is a pretty seaside town.capital (also capital city) the city where the government of a country or state is: · We travelled to Budapest, the capital of Hungary.metropolis a big busy city that is full of people and activity: · After 1850 Paris grew quickly into a busy metropolis.urban adjective [only before noun] relating to towns and cities: · Air pollution is particularly bad in urban areas.· urban developmentoutside part of citythe outskirts the area around the edge of a city or just outside it: · Disneyland is on the outskirts of Paris.suburb an area around the edges of a city, where many people live: · He lives in a suburb of London.the suburbs: · More and more people are moving to the suburbs.
WORD ORIGINcity
Origin:
1100-1200 Old French cité, from Latin civitas ‘citizenship, state, city of Rome’, from civis; ➔ CIVICEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- I was alone in a big city in a new country.
- It's an old city with about 200,000 residents.
- Leeds is a thriving, vibrant, and prosperous city.
- Panic swept the city after the earthquake.
- The city of Barcelona is famous for its wonderful architecture.
- The city of Parlier is in Fresno county.
- the ancient city of Damascus
- The major industrial cities were getting increasingly overcrowded.
- You should visit San Francisco. It's a beautiful city.
- He blew up five city blocks, of course.
- Many inner cities that were once treated as war zones have become pleasant and habitable again.
- Sant'Elia's city was a utopian metropolis designed on a monumental scale.
- Something that gives shape and meaning to the amorphous experience of waking up in a strange hotel room in a strange city.
- The survey looked at which cities cater for cyclists and covered everything from parking facilities to potholes.
- This romantic tale casts back to Ruritania especially in the implied distinction between city and country.
THESAURUSplace with houses, shops, and offices
a large area with houses, shops, offices etc that is often the centre of government for an area. A city is bigger than a town: · The nearest big city is San Francisco.
a large area with houses, shops, offices etc. A town is smaller than a city: · La Coruña is a pretty seaside town.
(also capital city) the city where the government of a country or state is: · We travelled to Budapest, the capital of Hungary.
a big busy city that is full of people and activity: · After 1850 Paris grew quickly into a busy metropolis.
adjective [only before noun] relating to towns and cities: · Air pollution is particularly bad in urban areas.· urban development
outside part of city the area around the edge of a city or just outside it: · Disneyland is on the outskirts of Paris.
an area around the edges of a city, where many people live: · He lives in a suburb of London.the suburbs: · More and more people are moving to the suburbs.
Longman Language Activatorrelating to or in a town · The town council has proposed a new road building project.· With better town planning, traffic problems could be avoided.town square (=a square in the centre of a town) · A market is held daily in the town square.
relating to or in a city: · The city library cost over $15 million to build.· Residents blame city officials for poor housing conditions.· the city authoritiescity streets: · Beneath the city streets is a network of sewers.city life: · City life is becoming increasingly dangerous.
British relating to a village: · There is a village festival every year at the beginning of May.· Has village life changed significantly in the last few years?village shop/school/hall etc: · We have a church, one pub and a village shop.
relating to towns and cities, the people who live in them, or the things that happen in them: · The problem of air pollution is especially serious in urban areas.· China's growing urban population· post-war urban planning· urban growth
relating to the government of a city or town: · Civic leaders cannot agree on what is best for the city.· An important civic function is taking place in the city hall this evening. · Harlow Council has always been generous with civic funding for music and the arts.· It is the civil duty of every citizen to vote.
relating to the government of a town or city or to the public services it provides: · Municipal elections will be held on April 12th.· Not far from the town centre is the municipal park.· The museum and other municipal buildings are threatened.
American in or belonging to the main business area in the centre of a town or city: · Taylor worked in a dingy little office in downtown Chicago.· Many downtown department stores are moving out into the wealthier suburbs.· a downtown hotel
relating to a large city: · Some workers can only afford homes outside metropolitan areas.· the metropolitan authorities
a town a place where a lot of people live with houses, streets, shops etc: · More and more people were seeking work in the growing towns.· The town is situated some 23 miles north of London.· a small town in the Midwesta seaside/industrial/market town: · La Coruna is a pretty seaside town on the north-western tip of Spain. part of town: · Steyne Street was a narrow street in a shabby but respectable part of town.the town of Warrington/Poitiers/Kimball etc written: · A large sign announced that we were entering the town of Knock.town and country (=people who live in towns and people who live in the country): · deep divisions in wealth between town and country
a big and important town that is often the centre of government for an area, has a lot of trade and industry, and is likely to contain important political, educational, or religious institutions: · You should visit San Francisco. It's a beautiful city.· The major industrial cities were getting increasingly overcrowded.a big/crowded/medieval etc city: · I was alone in a big city in a new country.· Leeds is a thriving, vibrant, and prosperous city.the city of Belfast/Jerusalem/Boston etc written: · The city of Barcelona is famous for its wonderful architecture.· the ancient city of Damascus
a very small town in the country: · There are some nice little pubs in the villages round here.· She left her village in the north of Thailand and went to live in Bangkok.
a place where people come to live for the first time and where they build a village or town: · She lived in a small settlement on the edge of the desert.· Settlements started to appear all along the river.· The tools were found in an early Iron Age settlement.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadjectives the host city for the next Olympic Games City planners are looking for ways to ease traffic. the ancient city wallsCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· They have stores in Houston, Dallas, and other big cities.
(=very important and interesting)· Cairo is one of the world's great cities.
(=where the government of a country or state is)· Cuba's capital city is Havana.
(=where they were born or grew up)· He said that he never wanted to leave his home city.
(=full of people from different parts of the world)· San Francisco is a very cosmopolitan city.
· Sheffield is an industrial city in the north of England.
(=in a part of the country that is not near the capital)· There have been protests in the capital and in provincial cities.
· the ancient city of Jerusalem
(=very old and with an interesting history)· Budapest is a beautiful and historic city.
(=with a cathedral)· He went to university in the cathedral city of Durham.
(=with a university)· Uppsala is a university city.
(=surrounded by a wall)· the old walled city of Alghero
British English (=one that has a special relationship with a similar town in another country)· Strasbourg is Leicester's twin city in France.
city + NOUN British English, the city center American English· The hotel is in the city centre.
American English (=the furthest parts of the city)· rural areas south of the city limits
· the advantages of city life
(=someone who lives in a city)· In the summer, city dwellers escape to the sea.
· Traffic was moving slowly along the city streets.
phrases· The cathedral is right in the heart of the city.
(=the edge)· There were several bombings on the outskirts of the city.
verbs (=start developing a new city)· He founded the city of Baghdad in the 8th century.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=the central part of a city, where many poor people live)· When will something be done to improve our inner-city areas?
· The new housing estates stretch beyond the old city boundaries.
British English (=one with a cathedral)
· The interference in local government by central government is not just financial, but political.
the host city for the next Olympic Games· He was held without bail for thirty days in the county jail.
(=someone who likes a particular kind of thing) I’m not a morning person.
I’m not a morning person. City planners are looking for ways to ease traffic.· The urban riots forced the Government to invest in the inner cities.
the ancient city walls· It is Possible that she might have come to the big city on her own.· I had never lived in a big city before.· The Metro almost makes driving in a big traffic-choked city a pleasure.· Whenever I play the big cities now, the anticipation of coming home to the land is overwhelming.· The village child needs to be aware of the noise and movement of the big city.· From there it was only twenty miles to the big city.· We want to build a line which will connect Seatown with the big cities.· I also shivered because I was so nervous about being alone in this big foreign city with so many white people.
· Rome, in short, lived on its past simply by being a capital city.· Both here and back in the capital city he would be surrounded by family and people who loved him.· A tour of our wonderful capital city is not to be missed.· But this capital city, home to 20 million people, proves far more than the sum of its plagues.· The minority are much more Anglicized Creoles centered in and around the capital city of Freetown.· Edinburgh is a capital city for postgraduate study.· All medical facilities have been heavily concentrated in the capital city.
· Romantic behind its walls, yes, but nothing to the great city I had known.· I love departing from the heart of one great city and coming into the heart of another.· It spread fast in the contaminated water of the great cities, killing in all four epidemics about 100,000 people.· Now, however, the great Latin cities fell prey to widespread depopulation, economic decline, and physical decay.· Birmingham is a great city for a weekend break.· We want to regard the police chief of our great city with deep respect.
· The urban crisis or the inner city problem conflates a number of quite different economic, political and social issues.· The counter-demonstrators, a self-avowed violent anti-Klan group, consisted of young blacks and Hispanics from the inner city.· They could be responsible for managing services covering 4,000 households, a large inner city estate or several former pit villages.· The clinic records, from an inner city teaching hospital we examined indicate that some believe sildenafil may belong in this category.· Those schools with the highest percentages of unauthorised absence were all inner city schools.· On the other hand a garden associated with an inner city dwelling will usually need to have a more formal approach.· The only exception, Hall argues, is if a new entrepreneurial tradition could be created in the inner city.· Why should the department suddenly have directed its policies to the benefit of the inner city?
· Moreover, the large city or freight terminals had to have massive capacity to cope with intense seasonal pressures.· Most large cities with a significant at-risk population now have such a centre.· Opposing the large cities and states were the Clinton administration and Oklahoma as well as Wisconsin.· Today, Sutton Coldfield has been swallowed up, at least on paper, by the larger city of Birmingham.· In larger cities, ties to the land are less important and homogenizing influences have a greater impact.· Yet starting a daily paper anywhere other than in a few large cities is scarcely an attractive investment.· In 1853 the population went past fifty thousand and San Francisco became one of the twenty largest cities in the United States.
· In other major cities, students came out to voice their grievances, worries and hopes about reform.· Those companies in major cities will have an easier time finding a consultant than those located in less-populated areas.· Yvresse has only one major city: Tor Yvresse.· In 1967, the nation was traumatized by race riots in a number of major cities.· Riots were increasing over the capital, and communications had been broken with the other two major cities of Nicaea.· Every province, every major city, has offices in Hong Kong.· The same story of crumbling Victorian buildings, tunnels, pipes and walls is being repeated in all Britain's major cities.· In the major cities of this nation, young men are starting drug businesses of their own.
· All of the other large cities had trends in the same direction, albeit on a less dramatic scale.· Like other cities, it bargained with the emperor and also favoured the pope when it suited.· Similar soviets had emerged in other cities earlier in the year, but that of St Petersburg took on unique importance.· How many 30-second sound bites have been spent treating outrage in the streets of some other Arab cities as inexplicable?· The wave of labour unrest coincided with falling share prices and increasing demonstrations by students in Seoul and other cities.· The Labour Party gains its most consistent successes in London and the other major cities.· Like every other city she could think of, this one was a mass of snarled traffic.· This system was also adopted in other large cities.
NOUN· On-site parking for disabled people is available whilst there is both city centre and nearby pay parking.· The information will be gathered in 4 city centre retail and catering firms and 3 sixth form colleges in Swansea.· Rail tickets from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to the city centre and return with all air holidays.· But these are of course the modern city centre outdoor shops.· From the highest mountain pass to the busiest city centre.· Some firms use old abandoned factories near the city centre for their warehouses but most prefer better sites.· Read in studio A jogger has been stabbed by a group of youths while running through a city centre.· Parking is available in Taylors Lane as well as the city centre.
· Belfast city council reduced rents in Smithfield market by a similar proportion.· Public agencies get most of their funding from legislatures, city councils, and elected boards.· Municipal elections in Rome Elections took place on Oct. 29-30, 1989, for the 80-seat city council of Rome.· The city council done voted to take over these whole twelve blocks.· Because the city council has this information, it no longer votes on line items: it votes on service levels.· Birmingham city council says the tour will help it find new ways of dealing with racism.· It resulted, he says, in people shying away from running for the city council.
· But then, city dwellers have never been long on modesty.· Bartlett drew from the old-fashioned uniforms of the virile football player and the preening perfection of the city dweller.· Far from being desperately poor peasants, the squatters were clearly city dwellers.· Poverty has become persistent, and apparently self-reinforcing, for millions of city dwellers, most of them black or Hispanic.· This assistance inevitably spilled over as an increase in general prosperity for the ordinary Milanese city dweller.· Hospital workers once alert for the sound became inured to it, like city dwellers to the sound of sirens.· It is the dilemma of city dwellers, of all those refugees from the past in search of the future.· Police stood at highways and railroad stations to halt the exodus of thousands of city dwellers.
· Many neighborhoods and city governments are working on zoning laws, taxes and business regulations for home operations.· He commutes 30 miles from his home in southwest Portland to a city government job in suburban Gresham.· The city government has decided to clear the streets of the unsightly pedicab in the interests of humanity and prestige.· Unlike most candidates calling for change or reform, Brown never had to forcefully criticize city government.· There were the issues of controversial decisions made by city government.· Although the city government promised an answer by late December, the appeal still is pending.· Again, however, there's no evidence that voters wanted city government dismantled.· In Akron and elsewhere, vibrant city governments are those that work in partnership with the private sector.
· Four thousand miners packed Sheffield's city hall one night that winter.· How smart of you both just to go off to city hall and get married.· Put it this way: You gon na have a city, you got ta build a city hall.· C., state capitols, or city halls.· Some downtown buildings, including city hall and the county courthouse, were evacuated.· Zajedno leaders say they will assume control of Nis city hall next Monday.· That act of citizen charity left Barry free to reclaim city hall once he got out of jail.· The trio was given a triumphal parade up Broadway, followed by a reception at city hall.
· We may reach a point where the public costs of city life have to be greater than the private.· Thoreau had made the Maine woods, along with Walden, a symbol of freedom from the cares of city life.· By the late 1980s, the attractions of city life were not what they had once been for the peasants.· Except for Aunt Pat, my transition to city life was a series of agonies.· The economic crisis reached into every corner of city life.· As I say, what Kip and I shared was a quick assimilation into city life.· Every detail of city life must now be passed through the prism of the Olympics.· If you enjoy city life, I recommend Galway.
· The would-be acquirer is said to live within the city limits of Santa Clara, California.· Illiteracy does not restrict itself to city limits or the borders of school districts.· Eventually a group of Arab youths becomes visible, running down the hill towards the giant Marlboro ad by the city limits.· Since then, 1, 434 other people have been been killed in the city limits.· People who reside inside the city limits make up 60 percent of the population of the community.· I stumbled out of town with barely enough strength to reach the city limits.· The city limits encompassed 91 square miles, and the water bill for the average household was $ 8.· Tucson residents financially support libraries outside the city limits as well as those inside them.
· She came to San Diego from Claremont, where she was assistant city manager for seven years.· Bobb, a former Santa Ana city manager, took the Richmond post in 1986.· Wyatt liked the city manager, his tiredness and efficiency and harmless irascibility.· Any city manager accepts the fact that he or she is at the mercy of the council majority, he said.· Then Michael Brown was appointed city manager.· Ted Gaebler, then city manager of Visalia, brought it to Visalia six months later.· Bobb was a finalist for the city manager position in San Diego, but he was not selected.
· Then city officials sat tight and hoped it would pay off.· Center and city officials play down the troubles, saying they are typical of any start-up operation.· However, city officials make it clear that it will remain the only children's home in Ceuta.· Most were in their beds when the powerful blast hit the middle-class district of Bowbazaar, said city officials.· Both sites can hold up to 10, 000 demonstrators, according to city officials.· For years, annexation has been the primary means by which city officials planned for growth.· In past studies, city officials have said the problem may not be a lack of spaces but how spaces are used.
· Vaughan eventually found Tyndale in Antwerp and had several talks with him in a meadow outside the city walls.· As we passed through the city wall, a great shout went up from the occupants of the car.· In Cracow, sections of the city walls survive from Medieval building.· It is a Bedouin band; and next morning there remains not a single living soul within those city walls.· Enjoy a walk along the city walls and a stroll beside the Dee.· Horns rang out from the city wall.· The next morning they began their gruelling journey up the ancient Roman road which ran from London's city wall into Oxfordshire.· Arad's name appeared again outside the fairground, in Vitra's transparent tent erected next to the old city wall.
VERB· The surface was paved with massive stones and on these watery foundations Venice was built - a floating city!· Several times they started to build a city, but they were always driven away by misfortunes or bad omens.· The High Elves possess a great respect for their land and build their cities in harmony with nature as much as possible.· He designed the Observatory office building in the city, which later won a Merseyside Civic Society building of the year award.· Orlando, Florida, even struck a deal in which a developer built a new city hall.· Large new stations designed to do just that were built in these three cities after the Second World War.· Aztec settlers built their pyramid city on an island and created dikes to hold back floods.
· Ministers should also consider ways of improving sports facilities for youngsters living in inner cities, they claimed.· I had never lived in a big city before.· Growing numbers live in the city and travel outwards to work.· We have lived mostly in cities for less than one thousand years.· Needless to say, those who lived in the inner cities had a high index of deprivation.· Half of the U. S. Latino population lives in these cities and the surrounding urban areas.· Many of us are cut off from the natural Earth currents, especially when we live in cities.· When gray squirrels live in cities, you can feed them out of your hand.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► in fat city► nationwide/city-wide etc
1a large important town: - The city is working to improve public transportation.
- For a local boy to come home, this is truly as good as it gets.
- Gary Boyce is a local boy who made it big.
- It was then that she noticed a tall blond man busy coaching some young local boys in football.
- Joseph must have been a country boy.
- Julie was a rich kid who loved to associate with the tougher, more daring local boys.
- Once a happy, handsome country boy, Inman has become hardened, cynical, burned out.
- They went wild with jubilation as they paid homage to the local boy who made President.
- Added to this is the vibration caused by heavy goods vehicles and the annoyance of air traffic suffered by all city dwellers.
- Bartlett drew from the old-fashioned uniforms of the virile football player and the preening perfection of the city dweller.
- But then, city dwellers have never been long on modesty.
- It is the dilemma of city dwellers, of all those refugees from the past in search of the future.
- Most shoppers know that only cave dwellers would pay the list price for electronics goods, for example.
- Poverty has become persistent, and apparently self-reinforcing, for millions of city dwellers, most of them black or Hispanic.
- This assistance inevitably spilled over as an increase in general prosperity for the ordinary Milanese city dweller.
- Unlike many town dwellers, farmers can at least eat well.
- If so, he should expect the freedom of the city.
- The first boatman to be accepted into the freedom of the city was admitted in 1583.
- Recent approaches to inner city renewal have relied very heavily on institutional innovations and tighter targeting of expenditure patterns.
- Accommodation comprises 110 twin bedded bungalows and 15 Duplex Suites each with its own shady terrace and small walled garden.
- At Leicester the market place occupied the whole of the south-eastern quarter of the walled town.
- Founded in 1673, this small walled garden is the oldest botanical garden in the country after Oxford's.
- Like the people of Ferghana, its occupants were a settled people living in walled towns.
- She lives now in converted weaving cottages in Kilbarchan, a walled garden already rich in spring colours.
- The walled garden too had been carefully maintained.
- The existence of walled towns and castles created two problems.
- The house, dairy, farm buildings, walled garden and orchard show what life there was like eighty years ago.
The nearest big city was St. Louis. → inner city2a)British English a large town that has been given an official title by a king or queen: the city of Oxford b)American English a town of any size that has definite borders and powers that were officially given by the state government: The city of Cleveland celebrated its 200th birthday with fireworks and an outdoor concert.3[usually singular] the people who live in a city: The city has been living in fear since last week’s earthquake.4 the city American English the government of a city: The city is working to improve public transportation. → CityCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesa big/large/major city· They have stores in Houston, Dallas, and other big cities.a great city (=very important and interesting)· Cairo is one of the world's great cities.a capital city (=where the government of a country or state is)· Cuba's capital city is Havana.somebody's home/native city (=where they were born or grew up)· He said that he never wanted to leave his home city.a cosmopolitan city (=full of people from different parts of the world)· San Francisco is a very cosmopolitan city.an industrial city· Sheffield is an industrial city in the north of England.a provincial city (=in a part of the country that is not near the capital)· There have been protests in the capital and in provincial cities.an ancient city· the ancient city of Jerusalema historic city (=very old and with an interesting history)· Budapest is a beautiful and historic city.a cathedral city (=with a cathedral)· He went to university in the cathedral city of Durham.a university city (=with a university)· Uppsala is a university city.a walled city (=surrounded by a wall)· the old walled city of Algheroa twin city British English (=one that has a special relationship with a similar town in another country)· Strasbourg is Leicester's twin city in France.city + NOUNthe city centre British English, the city center American English· The hotel is in the city centre.the city limits American English (=the furthest parts of the city)· rural areas south of the city limitscity life· the advantages of city lifea city dweller (=someone who lives in a city)· In the summer, city dwellers escape to the sea.a city street· Traffic was moving slowly along the city streets.phrasesin the heart of a city· The cathedral is right in the heart of the city.the outskirts of a city (=the edge)· There were several bombings on the outskirts of the city.verbsfound a city (=start developing a new city)· He founded the city of Baghdad in the 8th century.THESAURUSplace with houses, shops, and officescity a large area with houses, shops, offices etc that is often the centre of government for an area. A city is bigger than a town: · The nearest big city is San Francisco.town a large area with houses, shops, offices etc. A town is smaller than a city: · La Coruña is a pretty seaside town.capital (also capital city) the city where the government of a country or state is: · We travelled to Budapest, the capital of Hungary.metropolis a big busy city that is full of people and activity: · After 1850 Paris grew quickly into a busy metropolis.urban adjective [only before noun] relating to towns and cities: · Air pollution is particularly bad in urban areas.· urban developmentoutside part of citythe outskirts the area around the edge of a city or just outside it: · Disneyland is on the outskirts of Paris.suburb an area around the edges of a city, where many people live: · He lives in a suburb of London.the suburbs: · More and more people are moving to the suburbs.