Given that most of the common words in our language beginning sub- tend to have meanings concerned with “beneath” (as in subterranean and submarine) or “less than” (as with subpar), you would be forgiven for assuming that the suburbs were so named because of their location below, or their status as less than, their urban counterparts. Not so, however: sub- may have other meanings at the beginning of a word; in this case, it indicates not depth or inferiority, but proximity. In other words, the suburbs are a region close to the urbs.
Is urbs an English word? Yes; it is rarely used, but it refers typically to a city, particularly when distinguished from a suburb.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebHolden Forests & Gardens announced Tuesday that its president and CEO, Jill Koski, is stepping down after five years at the helm to take on the same roles at Morton Arboretum in the Chicago suburb of Lisle, Illinois. Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 7 Sep. 2022 Abdallah, 34 and a resident of the Chicago suburb of Midlothian, died at a hospital. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022 The player purchased the single ticket in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines and matched all six numbers in the July 29 drawing with white balls 13, 36, 45, 57 and 67, and the gold Mega Ball 14. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022 For example, a $17 million grant will help narrow a five-lane road to three lanes in the Chicago suburb of Munster, Indiana, in an effort to decrease traffic crashes. Terry Wang And David A. Lieb, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Aug. 2022 For example, a $17 million grant will help narrow a five-lane road to three lanes in the Chicago suburb of Munster, Indiana, in an effort to decrease traffic crashes.BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2022 Michelle Cain, the mother of a 9-year-old and 6-year-old twins in a Chicago suburb, is meticulous in her search for bargains. Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2022 One month since the mass shooting in this Chicago suburb, many residents reeling from the attack are turning their anger into activism. Grace Hauck, USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2022 The court hearing came a month after Crimo allegedly climbed onto a rooftop in the Chicago suburb and opened fire on unsuspecting paradegoers, killing seven people. Rebekah Riess And Omar Jimenez, CNN, 3 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English suburbe, from Anglo-French, from Latin suburbium, from sub- near + urbs city — more at sub-