township
UK: ˈtaʊnʃɪp | US: ˈtaʊnʃɪp
n. a subdivision of a county, often with its own local government
n. (historical) a unit of land division in colonial America
n. (South Africa) an urban area designated for non-white residents during apartheid
The word "township" combines "town" (from Old English tūn, meaning "enclosure" or "settlement") and the suffix "-ship" (from Old English -scipe, denoting a state or condition). Originally, it referred to the administrative division of a town or its surrounding land. Over time, its meaning expanded to include specific territorial units (e.g., in colonial America) and later took on socio-political connotations (e.g., in apartheid-era South Africa). The suffix "-ship" here implies a jurisdictional or communal association, preserving the word's structural logic.
The township holds elections for its local council every two years.
Many early American townships were surveyed into square-mile plots.
During apartheid, black South Africans were forcibly relocated to townships.
The township government approved funding for a new school.
She grew up in a small farming township in the Midwest.