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When Should You Use urbane?
City slickers and country folk have long debated whether life is better in town or in the wide-open spaces, and urbane is a term that springs from the throes of that debate. In its earliest English uses, urbane was synonymous with its close relative urban ("of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city"). Both words come from the Latin adjective urbanus ("urban, urbane"), which in turn comes from urbs, meaning "city." The modern sense of urbane developed from the belief (no doubt fostered by cosmopolitan city dwellers) that living in the city made one more suave and polished than did leading a rural life.
Examples of urbane in a Sentence
Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
In the years since this novel was released, popular culture has fallen in love with the urbane, suave and sophisticated version of Lecter that lives in our zeitgeist.
—S.a. Cosby, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Tony Roberts, the urbane supporting actor known for his collaborations with Woody Allen in six films — including the Oscar best picture winner Annie Hall — and two Broadway plays, died Friday.
—Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025
Also known as Bozen, the prosperous city is a taste of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a reminder that today’s Italy is only about 100 years old, and an especially urbane pan-European corner of Europe.
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Urbane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/urbane. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
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