township

noun

town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship 

1

a

: town sense 5

b

: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states usually having a chief administrative officer or board

c

: an unorganized subdivision of the county in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont

d

: an electoral and administrative district of the county in the southern U.S.

2

: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 sections or 36 square miles

3

: an area in the Republic of South Africa that was segregated under apartheid for occupation by persons of non-European descent

4

: an ancient unit of administration in England identical in area with or a division of a parish

Examples of township in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Wall Street Journal was first to report the $10,000 incentive, which would only be paid once the first building of the data center campus is complete, and which was largely rejected by the township’s residents. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026

The police do not record victims by race, but in a majority Black country with violence clustered in the townships, the map tells you who is dying. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Solar Farms Butler said solar developers have been targeting the eastern portion of Will County, citing Earthrise Energy’s plans for a 6,100 acre solar farm stretching across 45 miles in Green Garden, Wilton and Manhattan townships. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026

About four hours later on Saturday night, 10 people were killed and 11 wounded in a shooting at a store linked to what police described as an entertainment venue in Lwandle township, near Cape Town, South Africa’s second biggest city. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Kids Definition

township

noun

town·​ship ˈtau̇n-ˌship 

1

: a unit of local government in some northeastern and north central states

2

: a division of territory in surveys of U.S. public land containing 36 square miles (about 93 square kilometers)