YIMBY

American

[yim-bee] / ˈyɪm bi /

abbreviation

yes, in my backyard: used to express support by local citizens to the locating in their neighborhood of civic projects, such as the construction of new multiunit housing, the development of public transportation, or the rezoning of urban areas for mixed use, which other residents may view as detrimental to the neighborhood.

Etymology

Origin of YIMBY

First recorded in 1995–2000

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.

“Yes, I’m a YIMBY,” Raman said, referring to the pro-housing “Yes in My Backyard” acronym.

From Los Angeles Times

Matthew Lewis, director of communications for California YIMBY, said that pro-housing groups around the country “lit up with excitement” after word of Raman’s 11th-hour entry into the mayor’s race.

From Los Angeles Times

The projects have earned nods from Yimby, or “Yes in my backyard,” advocates across the city, who have for years bemoaned Safeway’s sprawling lots as San Francisco’s housing shortage worsened.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Why does a large parking lot deserve a view of the water, and not people instead?” said Juliana Lamm-Perez, an organizer for Grow the Richmond, one of the city’s Yimby groups.

From The Wall Street Journal

SAN FRANCISCO—Scott Wiener, the soft-spoken, 6-foot-7 ringleader of California’s Yimby movement, really, really wants to be the next Nancy Pelosi.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023