county
1 Americannoun
plural
counties-
the largest administrative division of a U.S. state.
Miami, Florida, is in Dade County.
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one of the chief administrative divisions of a country or state, as in Great Britain and Ireland.
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one of the larger divisions for purposes of local administration, as in Canada and New Zealand.
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the territory of a county, especially its rural areas.
We farmed out in the county before moving to town.
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the inhabitants of a county.
It was supposed to be a secret, but you told the whole county.
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the domain of a count or earl.
noun
noun
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any of the administrative or geographic subdivisions of certain states, esp any of the major units into which England and Wales are or have been divided for purposes of local government
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( as modifier )
county cricket
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an electoral division in a rural area
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obsolete the lands under the jurisdiction of a count or earl
adjective
Etymology
Origin of county1
1250–1300; Middle English counte < Anglo-French counté, Old French cunté, conte < Late Latin comitātus imperial seat, office of a comes ( count 2 ), equivalent to Latin comit-, stem of comes + -ātus -ate 3 (or by reanalysis of Latin comitātus escort, retinue, originally verbal noun of comitārī to accompany, derivative of comes
Origin of county2
1540–50; < Anglo-French counte count 2; -y by confusion with county 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That’s especially true in counties where homes tend to be larger, winters are colder or electricity is costly.
From Los Angeles Times
Residents concerned about the possible poisoning of Orange County waterways with herbicides have been making their voices heard on Instagram and pressured the county into holding a meeting on the issue Monday night.
From Los Angeles Times
Notably, nationwide, more than one-third of the U.S. is now considered to be a maternity care desert, leaving more than 5.6 million women in counties with no or limited access to maternity care.
From Salon
Harteveld had been a town councillor in Milford Haven for three years, and had realised she would need "broad shoulders" to run as a Welsh Labour candidate in a county council election.
From BBC
On his days off, he leads volunteers into the far reaches of the county, leaving water, food and clothing for migrants.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
