township

noun

town·ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship

: town sense 5

: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states usually having a chief administrative officer or board

: an unorganized subdivision of the county in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont

: an electoral and administrative district of the county in the southern U.S.

: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 sections or 36 square miles

: an area in the Republic of South Africa that was segregated under apartheid for occupation by persons of non-European descent

: an ancient unit of administration in England identical in area with or a division of a parish

Examples of township in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Located in central Ontario, Canada, the township of Muskoka Lakes is synonymous with quaint cottages and the great outdoors. — Maryam Siddiqi, Travel + Leisure, 30 Aug. 2026 The Milford Public Library serves both village and township residents and maintains special collections on autism, genealogy and the Civil War, as well as microfilmed editions of the Milford Times dating to the newspaper’s inception. — Brendel Clark, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026 What started out with a kiss between two Democratic officials in a local township office has devolved into a southwest suburban political soap opera with the potential to reshape competitive races for Congress and the Cook County Board. — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026 The court in Yangon’s Kamayut township on Tuesday found Pavinee Supasirivisan guilty under a provision that applies to any foreign national who commits a crime in the country, according to the lawyer. — Grant Peck, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for township

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Time Traveler

The first known use of township was in the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Browse Nearby Words

townsfolk

township

township line

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Style

“Township.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/township. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

township

noun

town·ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship

: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states

: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 square miles (about 93 square kilometers)

township

noun

Examples of township in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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