Suburb

Definition

A suburb is a residential area or a mixed-use area, either existing as part of a city or urban area or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city.

Parts of Speech

• Noun

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈsʌbɜrb/
• Respelling: SUB-urb (with "SUB" as in "submarine" and "urb" as in "curb")

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈsʌbɜːb/
• Respelling: SUB-urb (similar to American English, with "SUB" as in "submarine" and "urb" like in "curb")

In both dialects, "suburb" is pronounced with the primary stress on the first syllable, "SUB." The pronunciation of "suburb" is consistent between American and British English, highlighting the word's simple phonetic structure.

Etymology

The term "suburb" stems from the Latin suburbium, where sub- means under or below, and urbs means city. It has been used in the English language since the early 14th century to refer to the area outside the city walls, and later, to residential districts on the outskirts of a city.

Derivatives

• Suburban
• Suburbanite
• Suburbanization
• Suburbanize
• Suburbia

Synonyms

• Outskirt
• Periphery
• Residential area

Antonyms

• City center
• Urban core
• Downtown

Usage

"Suburb" is often used to describe the residential areas surrounding a city or urban center. It is a term frequently used in urban planning and discussions around housing, infrastructure, and community development.

Related Terms

• Metropolitan
• Exurban
• Bedroom community

Detailed Definition

Noun

• Residential Area: A district, especially a residential one, on the edge of a city or large town.‍
• Example: Many people are moving to the suburbs for a quieter and more peaceful lifestyle.

• Commuting Community: An outlying district of a city, especially a residential one.‍
• Example: The new railway line will ease the commute from the suburb to the city center.

• Urban Planning: An area on the outskirts of a city characterized by a lower population density compared to the urban core.‍
• Example: Urban planners are focusing on improving public transport links to the suburbs.