township

noun

town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship How to pronounce township (audio)
1
b
: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states usually having a chief administrative officer or board
c
: an unorganized subdivision of the county in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont
d
: an electoral and administrative district of the county in the southern U.S.
2
: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 sections or 36 square miles
3
: an area in the Republic of South Africa that was segregated under apartheid for occupation by persons of non-European descent
4
: 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.
All evacuation orders were lifted for the about 5,000 residents who fled the fire in Ocean and Lacey townships, the fire service said on April 23. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025 What To Know The 45-year-old American citizen from Tennessee had been conducting a service on April 10 at the Fellowship Baptist Church in the Eastern Cape township of Motherwell when the building was stormed by four armed and masked men who abducted him. Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025 That dedication led to the planting of Fellowship Baptist Church in the township of Motherwell—a community that has become home to their hearts. Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2025 In Singu township, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Mandalay, 27 gold miners were killed in a cave-in, the independent Democratic Voice of Burma reported. David Rising, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Township.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/township. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

township

noun
town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship How to pronounce township (audio)
1
: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states
2
: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 square miles (about 93 square kilometers)

More from Merriam-Webster on township

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