township

[ toun-ship ]
/ ˈtaʊn ʃɪp /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR township ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a unit of local government, usually a subdivision of a county, found in most midwestern and northeastern states of the U.S. and in most Canadian provinces.
(in U.S. surveys of public land) a region or district approximately 6 miles square (93.2 sq. km), containing 36 sections.
English History.
  1. one of the local divisions or districts of a large parish, each containing a village or small town, usually with a church of its own.
  2. the manor, parish, etc., itself.
  3. its inhabitants.
(in Australia)
  1. a small town or settlement serving as the business center of a rural area.
  2. the business center of a town or suburb.
(in South Africa) a segregated residential settlement for blacks, located outside a city or town.

Origin of township

before 900; Middle English tounship community, Old English tūnscipe village community. See town, -ship

Words nearby township

townsend plan, townsend's solitaire, townsfolk, townshend, townshend acts, township, township line, townsman, townspeople, townsville, townswoman

Words related to township

sector, city, square, neighborhood, zone, locality, section, county, field, state, territory, town, metropolis, district, community, village, province, land, area, country

Example sentences from the Web for township

British Dictionary definitions for township

township
/ (ˈtaʊnʃɪp) /

noun

a small town
(in the Scottish Highlands and islands) a small crofting community
(in the US and Canada) a territorial area, esp a subdivision of a county: often organized as a unit of local government
(formerly, in South Africa) a planned urban settlement of Black Africans or Coloured people Compare location (def. 4)
English history
  1. any of the local districts of a large parish, each division containing a village or small town
  2. the particular manor or parish itself as a territorial division
  3. the inhabitants of a township collectively