townie

noun

town·​ie ˈtau̇-nē How to pronounce townie (audio)
variants or less commonly towny
plural townies
informal
: a native or resident of a town
especially : a permanent inhabitant of a town as distinguished from a member of another group (such as the academic community)
Every Yooper I've ever met was an uncommonly unique character – a real salt-of-the-earth townie skilled at mechanics, deer hunting, and/or ice fishing. Kelly O
… a question every intelligent and ambitious townie one day must confront: should I stay or leave? Ben Yagoda
often used before another noun
This old school townie bar is located just off of Main Street on the outskirts of town … and it's the sort of place that I'd imagine has a regular clientele of locals who drop by on a daily basis for a shot and a beer. Lori Fredrich

Examples of townie in a Sentence

fights between townies and college kids the townies are dismayed that all the venerable manses around the village green are being bought as vacation homes by rich interlopers
Recent Examples on the Web Nothing made Harvard’s contempt for townies clearer than the Fogg’s $20-a-head admission tab. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 14 Dec. 2023 Production designer Craig Lathrop, a Robert Eggers regular, recreates the merciless grimness of winter in New England among its malcontent townies. Bonnie Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023 Mills stood at the pulpit and described her transition from Yale-resenting townie to union organizer. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023 That townie, Steve Azar, a 42-year-old New Bedford native and former Somerville city planner, has lived in Provincetown for more than a decade. Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023 The townies get understandably sick of the leering hordes; some are resigned to the glut and the spectacle, while others are less forgiving. Chris Vognar, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023 His impulsive, irrational behavior is also troubling, evidenced in the scene where Lloyd whips out a shotgun on teen townies planning to egg his home mere days after spray-painting the film’s title on it. Courtney Howard, Variety, 29 Mar. 2023 Phil asks a townie, Ralph, in the film. David G. Allan, CNN, 2 Feb. 2023 Buehler is a townie, who became an IU student. Matt Cohen, The Indianapolis Star, 10 Sep. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'townie.' 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

1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of townie was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near townie

Cite this Entry

“Townie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/townie. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

townie

noun
town·​ie ˈtau̇-nē How to pronounce townie (audio)
: a permanent resident of a town
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