township
gb/tˈaʊnʃɪp/ us/tˈaʊnʃɪp/
B2
English
~ 5600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
small local government district
A small area inside a county or region that has its own local government, like a town area.
Usage pattern:
a township in [region/county/state]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "township" as a simple synonym of "town" in all contexts. In many countries, a township is a specific legal or administrative unit inside a county or region, not just any small town. In everyday conversation, native speakers may say "town" or "small town" if they are not talking about legal government structure.
Synonyms
municipality (More general and often more formal; can refer to cities as well as small districts, while "township" is usually a specific type of small local unit.)
Antonyms
unincorporated area (Refers to land with no local municipal government, the opposite of a governed unit like a township.)
Collocations
rural township
|suburban township
|township government
|township council
|township residents
|charter township
Themes
geography
|government
|cities
|politics
|law
Examples
- The township approved a new budget for road repairs.
- She lives in a small rural township just outside the city limits.
- Each township in the county has its own elected board of supervisors.
- The fire department serves three neighboring townships.
- The township ordinance bans parking on this street overnight.
Learner examples
- My parents moved to a quiet township near the big city.
- The township has its own police and fire department.
- People in this township pay lower taxes than in the city.
- The township meeting will be on Monday evening.
- There are four townships in this county.
Noun
B2
entity
2
South African urban settlement area
In South Africa, a large, crowded area near a city where many Black and other non‑white people were made to live in the past, and where many still live today.
Usage pattern:
a township outside [city]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this "township" just means any small town. In South African English, it is a specific social and historical term for mainly Black urban residential areas created under apartheid. It can have sensitive social and political meaning, so it should not be used loosely for poor areas in other countries.
Synonyms
informal settlement (Overlaps in meaning, as many townships include informal housing, but "informal settlement" is broader and more technical, and is not limited to South Africa or to the apartheid history.)
Antonyms
suburb (In South African use, a suburb usually suggests a more formal, better-serviced, and often wealthier residential area, socially contrasted with a township.)
Collocations
Cape Town township
|Soweto township
|township residents
|township school
|township violence
|township life
Themes
society
|history
|cities
|politics
|housing
Examples
- She grew up in a township outside Johannesburg.
- Government programs aim to improve housing and services in the townships.
- Many township residents still commute long distances to jobs in the city center.
- The tour includes a guided visit to a Cape Town township.
- Artists from the township have brought their music to international audiences.
Learner examples
- He works as a teacher in a township near Durban.
- Many people in the township do not have good public transport.
- During apartheid, Black families were forced to live in townships.
- There are many small shops in the township streets.
- The new clinic will help people in the township get health care.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
3
land-survey unit (6 miles square)
In land surveying in North America, a square area of land six miles by six miles, used to show where land is on a map.
Usage pattern:
a township and range [numbers]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical survey meaning with the everyday governmental meaning of "township". In legal land descriptions in North America, "township" often refers to the six‑mile square survey unit, not to a town or local government.
Synonyms
survey township (More specific term used to distinguish this technical land‑measurement unit from a "civil township" as a government district.)
Collocations
survey township
|township and range
|township boundary
|township grid
|township line
|thirty‑six‑section township
Themes
geography
|law
|science
|space
Examples
- The property is located in Township 3 North, Range 5 West.
- Each township in the survey system is divided into thirty‑six sections.
- The map shows township and range lines covering the whole state.
- The deed describes the land by township, range, and section.
- Surveyors marked the corners of the township before subdividing it.
Learner examples
- On this map, every township is six miles wide.
- The land record gives the township and range numbers.
- A township in this system has 36 small sections.
- Surveyors use townships to describe big areas of land.
- The farm is in the same township but a different section.
Grammar
Dictionary form
township
IPA
GB/tˈaʊnʃɪp/
US/tˈaʊnʃɪp/
Syllables & stress
town - ship (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (town)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: township
- Plural: townships
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.