village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvi-lij How to pronounce village (audio)
Synonyms of villagenext
often attributive
1
a
: a settlement usually larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town
b
: an incorporated minor municipality
2
: the residents of a village
3
: something (such as an aggregation of burrows or nests) suggesting a village
4
: a territorial area having the status of a village especially as a unit of local government

Synonyms of village

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Examples of village in a Sentence

Entire villages come to see the parade. we stayed in a charming bed-and-breakfast in a lakeside village
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.
Homer Glen in December approved installing 12 license plate readers on access points in the village, but to date only four are installed, Neitzke-Troike said. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026 Roads, vehicles and buildings in several villages in Karo affected by the eruption were covered in gray ash. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 The floods and mudslides that were triggered by last week's ice-and-rock avalanche have buried several Himalayan villages in the border region of Nepal and Tibet. — Mamita Bhandari, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026 Scientists trace the catastrophe to a Himalayan bedrock and glacier collapse that unleashed a torrent of ice, rock and water, obliterating hydropower projects, roads and villages across the high border region. — Shristi Kafle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for village

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French vilage, from vil manorial estate, farmstead, from Latin villa

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of village was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing village

Rhymes for village

See All Rhymes for village

Browse Nearby Words

villadom
village
village cart
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Village.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/village. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

village

noun
vil·​lage ˈvil-ij How to pronounce village (audio)
1
: a place somewhat smaller than a town
2
: the people living in a village

More from Merriam-Webster on village

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about village

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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