village

noun

vil·​lage ˈvi-lij How to pronounce village (audio)
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

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.
Four people were killed after a vehicle crashed into an after-school camp in a small Illinois village on Monday, according to local officials. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025 For months, the drama happening elsewhere in the country had imposed itself on set: First the rapid-fire disintegration of the ruling regime in December; then, in March, a spate of sectarian massacres in villages just a few dozen miles away from Kasheesh. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025 In the village, Ayyub stopped the car to chat with locals. Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025 The blasts, which set fire to more than 100,000 tons of shells, rockets and advanced equipment in the 51st Russian Main Missile and Artillery Directorate Arsenal’s depot, caused evacuations in surrounding villages. Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Village.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/village. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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