downtown

1 of 2

adjective

down·​town ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇n How to pronounce downtown (audio)
Synonyms of downtownnext
1
: of, relating to, or located in the lower part or business center of a city or town
2
: hip, trendy
downtown music
downtown adverb

downtown

2 of 2

noun

down·​town ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇n How to pronounce downtown (audio) ˈdau̇n-ˌtau How to pronounce downtown (audio)
: the lower part of a city or town
also : the main business district or central part of a city or town
downtowner
ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇-nər How to pronounce downtown (audio)
noun

Synonyms of downtown

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Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of downtown in a Sentence

Adjective the downtown clientele of this bistro come to be seen, and the food is only an afterthought
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.
Adjective
What space the library does have is overwhelmingly downtown. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 25 Feb. 2026 For sports travelers, that means the pregame meal does not have to be a chain restaurant, and the postgame dinner does not have to be downtown. — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 11 May 2026
Noun
This is southeast of Garden City, about an hour drive south of downtown Kansas City. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 5 July 2026 Joe Jackson was a chef at a Gaslamp Quarter restaurant and later the executive sous chef at a downtown hotel. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for downtown

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of downtown was in 1837

Rhymes for downtown

See All Rhymes for downtown

Browse Nearby Words

down-to-the-wire
downtown
down tree
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Downtown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downtown. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

downtown

1 of 2 adverb
down·​town ˌdau̇n-ˈtau̇n How to pronounce downtown (audio)
: to, toward, or in the main business district

downtown

2 of 2 adjective
-ˌtau̇n
: situated downtown

More from Merriam-Webster on downtown

Nglish: Translation of downtown for Spanish Speakers

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