noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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CMU ARPABET:T AW1 N Z M AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A man who is a resident of a town, especially of one's own town.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: city dweller
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A resident of a university town, as opposed to a scholar at the university; a townie.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Synonym of oppidan (“type of student”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: oppidan
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a resident of a town or city
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: towner
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: resident, occupant, occupier
Narrower terms: townee, townie, towny
5
noun
Meaning 5
a person from the same town as yourself
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a fellow townsman
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: peer, equal, match, compeer
History
Etymology
From Middle English townes-man, from Old English tūnmann, tūnes mann, equivalent to town + -s- + man.
Across languages
Translations
55 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
bashkëqytetar
— male resident of a town
Arabic:
مَدِينِيّ
(madīniyy)
— male resident of a town
Belarusian:
гараджа́нін
(haradžánin)
— male resident of a town
Belarusian:
мяшча́нін
(mjaščánin)
— male resident of a town
Belarusian:
гарадскі́
(haradskí)
— male resident of a town
Belarusian:
ме́скі
(mjéski)
— male resident of a town
Breton:
kêriad
— male resident of a town
Bulgarian:
гра́жданин
(gráždanin)
— male resident of a town
Chinese Mandarin:
市民
(shìmín)
— male resident of a town
Czech:
měšťan
— male resident of a town
Czech:
měšťák
— male resident of a town
Danish:
borger
— male resident of a town
Danish:
bymand
— male resident of a town
Dutch:
poorter
— male resident of a town
Dutch:
burger
— male resident of a town
Dutch:
stedeling
— male resident of a town
Dutch:
stadsbewoner
— male resident of a town
Finnish:
kaupunkilainen
— male resident of a town
French:
citadin
— male resident of a town
German:
Bürger
— male resident of a town
German:
Stadtbewohner
— male resident of a town
Ancient Greek:
ἀστός
(astós)
— male resident of a town
Japanese:
市民
(shimin)
— male resident of a town
Korean:
시민
(simin)
— male resident of a town
Latin:
oppidānus
— male resident of a town
Lithuanian:
miestietis
— male resident of a town
Macedonian:
гра́ѓанин
(gráǵanin)
— male resident of a town
Macedonian:
гра́ѓанец
(gráǵanec)
— male resident of a town
Norwegian Bokmål:
bymann
— male resident of a town
Church Slavic:
гражданинъ
(graždaninŭ)
— male resident of a town
Old East Slavic:
горожанинъ
(gorožaninŭ)
— male resident of a town
Polish:
mieszczanin
— male resident of a town
Polish:
miastowy
— male resident of a town
Portuguese:
cidadão
— male resident of a town
Russian:
горожа́нин
(gorožánin)
— male resident of a town
Russian:
городско́й жи́тель
(gorodskój žítelʹ)
— male resident of a town
Russian:
меща́нин
(meščánin)
— male resident of a town
Russian:
городско́й
(gorodskój)
— male resident of a town
Serbo-Croatian:
мѐштанин
— male resident of a town
Serbo-Croatian:
мјѐштанин
— male resident of a town
Serbo-Croatian:
mèštanin
— male resident of a town
Serbo-Croatian:
mjèštanin
— male resident of a town
Slovak:
mešťan
— male resident of a town
Slovene:
meščan
— male resident of a town
Slovene:
krajan
— male resident of a town
Spanish:
pueblero
— male resident of a town
Spanish:
pueblerino
— male resident of a town
Sranan Tongo:
fotoman
— male resident of a town
Swedish:
stadsbo
— male resident of a town
Swedish:
borgare
— male resident of a town
Swedish:
stadsman
— male resident of a town
Ukrainian:
городя́нин
(horodjányn)
— male resident of a town
Ukrainian:
міща́нин
(miščányn)
— male resident of a town
Ukrainian:
містяни́н
(mistjanýn)
— male resident of a town
Ukrainian:
міськи́й
(misʹkýj)
— male resident of a town