URBAN

What Does URBAN Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

URBAN means "Of, Relating To, or In a Town or City."

More Observations...

When talking about populated areas, the term URBAN is widely used, but poorly defined. As explained in this blog post by the World Bank, the criteria for defining URBAN differ widely throughout the world. As explained in this joke, the criteria for defining URBAN can sometimes be quite simple:

• If you stand naked on the front porch and the neighbors can't see you, it's rural.
• If you stand naked on the front porch and the neighbors call the cops, it's suburban.
• If you stand naked on the front porch and the neighbors ignore you, it's urban.

In general chat about URBAN, people are usually referring to URBAN CONTEMPORARY MUSIC, an umbrella term for styles of Black music that have emerged and gained traction since the 1970s, including soul, hip hop, rap, and R&B. URBAN FASHION is a laid-back look influenced by the local scene, political events, movies, and music (especially hip hop & rap).

Image for URBAN

When I write URBAN, I mean this:

Hip Hop is a style of URBAN music.

Summary of Key Points

"Of, Relating To, or In a Town or City" is, by far, the most common meaning for URBAN when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

URBAN
Definition:	Of, Relating To, or In a Town or City
Type:	Word
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults, Teenagers, and Under 13s

An Academic Look at URBAN

URBAN is typically used as an adjective (i.e., a describing word). For example:

• I love URBAN music.
• I live in an URBAN area.
• I love URBAN fashion.

Example of URBAN Used in a Text

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