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Urban

//ˈɜːb(ə)n// adj, name

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or happening or located in, a city or town; of, pertaining to, or characteristic of life in such a place, especially when contrasted with the countryside.

    "urban life"

  2. 2
    Living in a city or town.

    "Inſomuch, as thoſe citizens vvere reputed for cheeſe and principall, vvho vvere poſſeſſed of land and living in the countrey: and theſe made the State, called the Ruſtick Tribes, in Rome: vvheras contrarivviſe the other eſtate, reputed the meaner in degree, vvas named the Vrbane Tribes; conſiſting of Artiſanes & ſuch like as vvere not landed perſons: into vvhich, if a man vvere transferred from any of the reſt, it vvas thought a great ſhame and diſgrace, as if hee vvere reproched for idleneſſe and negligence in husbandrie."

  3. 3
    Having authority or jurisdiction over a city or town.

    "All theſe Magiſtrats are but temporary, and have a time limited them; the Urbane or Citty Magiſtrats ſome of them continue in office 6. months, others 8. months, others are annuall; […]"

  4. 4
    Relating to contemporary African American culture, especially in music. US, archaic, proscribed
  5. 5
    Of an inhabitant or resident: black; African-American. UK, US, euphemistic, offensive
Adjective
  1. 1
    located in or characteristic of a city or city life wordnet
  2. 2
    relating to or concerned with a city or densely populated area wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A male given name from Latin. countable, uncommon, uncountable
  2. 2
    A surname originating as a patronymic. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    An early Christian, also Urbane and Urbanus in various versions of the Bible. countable, uncountable

    "Grete wel Vrban, oure helpere in Crist Jhesus, and Stacchen, my derlyng."

Etymology

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle French urbain (“belonging to a city, urban; courteous, refined, urbane”) (modern French urbain), or from its etymon Latin urbānus (“of or belonging to a city, urban; of manners or style: like those of city dwellers: cultivated, polished, refined, sophisticated”) + English -an (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). Urbānus is derived from urbs (“city; walled town; Rome”) (further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ- (“to encircle, enclose; a belt; an enclosure, fence”) or *werbʰ- (“to enclose”)) + -ānus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives). For the euphemistic or proscribed term, it was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music.

Etymology 2

Latin Urbānus, name of eight early popes, from urbānus (“of the town or city, urbane”). Doublet of Orban.

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