urbane

adjective

ur·​bane ˌər-ˈbān How to pronounce urbane (audio)
: notably polite or polished in manner
urbanely adverb

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When Should You Use urbane?

City slickers and country folk have long debated whether life is better in town or in the wide-open spaces, and urbane is a term that springs from the throes of that debate. In its earliest English uses, urbane was synonymous with its close relative urban ("of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city"). Both words come from the Latin adjective urbanus ("urban, urbane"), which in turn is derived from urbs, meaning "city." Urbane developed its modern sense denoting savoir faire from the belief (no doubt fostered by city dwellers) that living in the city made one more suave and polished than did leading a rural life.

Choose the Right Synonym for urbane

suave, urbane, diplomatic, bland, smooth, politic mean pleasantly tactful and well-mannered.

suave suggests a specific ability to deal with others easily and without friction.

a suave public relations coordinator

urbane implies high cultivation and poise coming from wide social experience.

an urbane traveler

diplomatic stresses an ability to deal with ticklish situations tactfully.

a diplomatic negotiator

bland emphasizes mildness of manner and absence of irritating qualities.

a bland master of ceremonies

smooth suggests often a deliberately assumed suavity.

a smooth salesman

politic implies shrewd as well as tactful and suave handling of people.

a cunningly politic manager

Examples of urbane in a Sentence

The dialogue is witty and urbane. a gentlemanly and urbane host of elegant dinner parties
Recent Examples on the Web But its grassroots feminism went against the more urbane variety that embraces superiority and — ironically — victimhood. Armond White, National Review, 28 Feb. 2024 Reynolds, wildly miscast, tries valiantly to sound frivolously urbane rather than affably southern, and Shepherd delivers her numbers with none of her usual comic charm. Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 22 Jan. 2024 The Greek government was blowing hot to get them back, supported not only by the usual Trot suspects but by urbane thinkers to whom symbols of high Western culture seem dirty. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 23 Dec. 2023 Josh O’Connor’s Prince Charles was tormented and stooped, awkward and sad and sometimes cruel, whereas Dominick West’s, a far less complex creature, was warm and urbane. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023 Her parents had eloped because Ada Mae’s urbane parents disapproved of the prospect of ranch life for their daughter. Linda Greenhouse, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023 The play draws from real events: In 1936, the Dutch filmmaker Joris Ivens (here played with urbane golden-boy energy by Andrew Burnap) made a documentary about the Spanish Civil War, which was currently blazing. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 Nov. 2023 In the 20 plus years since, the fair’s helped transform Miami from a breezy beach town to a urbane cultural destination. Ana María Caballero, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Screen Time: 11:46 Verdict: The talky scene calls for someone worldlier than the title character, and Swinton imbues this rival — a picture of the killer’s future — with an urbane weariness. Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin urbanus urban, urbane

First Known Use

circa 1623, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of urbane was circa 1623

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Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

urbane

adjective
ur·​bane ˌər-ˈbān How to pronounce urbane (audio)
: very polite and smooth in manner
urbanity
-ˈban-ət-ē
noun

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