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.
The Gaston County Board of Commissioners consists of seven members that represent six townships, though they are elected on an at-large basis. Nora O’Neill 9, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2025 The name of the waterfall, township and river is considered to be an English or French interpretation of the Ojibwe name for the river, meaning crooked river, Ocqueoc Township's website says. Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 7 July 2025 What the House proposal says: The bill would direct 20% of marijuana taxes over five years to the host community cannabis fund to benefit municipalities and townships that haven't banned or limited marijuana. Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 On the whole, greater consistency throughout a larger geographic footprint is achieved by statewide bans, rather than patchwork county or township bans. Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 19 June 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 21 Jul. 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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