Chinatown

noun

Chi·​na·​town ˈchī-nə-ˌtau̇n How to pronounce Chinatown (audio)
: the Chinese quarter of a city

Examples of Chinatown in a Sentence

We had dinner in Chinatown.
Recent Examples on the Web The mayor’s program to combat homelessness went to a median strip in the Chinatown section of Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez‘s district. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Either way, Chicago Cafe is now believed to be California’s oldest Chinese restaurant, eclipsing the famous Sam Wo Restaurant in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2024 Mariscal’s walking route takes her across either the Brooklyn Bridge or Manhattan Bridge to get to Momofuku’s office, which is located in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Jasmine Li, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 The French-Polish filmmaker, director of such films as Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby and The Pianist, has remained active and productive despite being a fugitive from U.S. justice for more than 40 years. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, Diane’s career was also met with success, appearing in films like Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Chinatown, Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose. Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 In addition to older features like Chinatown (1974) and Apollo 13 (1995), there are also more modern heavyweights like Something’s Gotta Give (2003) and 13 Going on 30 (2004). EW.com, 2 Mar. 2024 Part of the game plan for gondola planners has been to woo residents from nearby Chinatown and the 415-unit William Mead Homes projects with giveaways including toys, backpacks and turkey dinners. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 Amid the loud pops of firecrackers, thousands of people gathered as dozens of floats rolled from Market and Second streets to Chinatown on a balmy Saturday to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Karl Mondon, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Chinatown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Chinatown was in 1857

Dictionary Entries Near Chinatown

Cite this Entry

“Chinatown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Chinatown. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Chinatown

noun
Chi·​na·​town ˈchī-nə-ˌtau̇n How to pronounce Chinatown (audio)
: an area of a city where many people of Chinese ancestry live
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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