city 
/ˈsɪti/ noun
plural cit·ies /ˈsɪti/ noun 1 [count] : a place where people live that is larger or more important than a town : an area where many people live and work
▪ major/big cities like London, Tokyo, and Rome ▪ ancient/modern cities ▪ the city of Boston ▪ city dwellers/streets ▪ a city government ▪ We spent the weekend in the city. [=in the nearest big city] ◊This sense is sometimes used in the name of a city.
▪ New York City ▪ Mexico City ▪ Kansas City 2 a [count] : the people in a city — usually singular ▪ I think the entire city has heard the news by now. ▪ The whole city was excited about the football game.
b the city : the government of a city
▪ The city is working to make the streets safer. ▪ a lawsuit against the city 3 the City : the section of London that is Great Britain's financial and business center 4 [noncount] chiefly US, informal — used to describe a place where there is a lot of a particular thing or activity ▪ Their house was pet city. [=there were a lot of pets in their house] ▪ It was celebration city [=there was a lot of celebration going on] at campaign headquarters last night!
▪ major/big cities like London, Tokyo, and Rome ▪ ancient/modern cities ▪ the city of Boston ▪ city dwellers/streets ▪ a city government ▪ We spent the weekend in the city. [=in the nearest big city] ◊This sense is sometimes used in the name of a city.
▪ New York City ▪ Mexico City ▪ Kansas City
b the city : the government of a city
▪ The city is working to make the streets safer. ▪ a lawsuit against the city
the big city
— used to refer to a particular city without naming it ▪ I grew up on a farm, so my move to the big city was a big change. ▪ life in the big city — see also big-city
