Outskirts Meaning: City Edge Definition & Examples

Meaning 1：outer edges of a city (outskirts)

outskirts 🔊

/ˈaʊt.skɜːrts/

The outer areas of a town or city, usually where there are fewer buildings and more open space.

Outskirts of a city with houses and distant skyline

outer edges of a city 🔊

➕

/ˈaʊtər ˈɛdʒɪz əv ə ˈsɪti/

The areas that form the boundary or limit of a town or city, typically less densely populated and more rural than the center.

📁 Category：Buildings & Places 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Out- (outside) + skirts (edges/borders).

💡 Mnemonic

Think: the city's 'skirt' is its outer edge; go 'out' to the 'skirts'.

📖 Example

They bought a new house with a garden on the outskirts of the town. 🔊 They bought a new house with a garden on the outskirts of the town.

🔗 Collocations

on the outskirts – Located at the edge of a town or city.

the outskirts of the city – The peripheral areas of a city.

live on the outskirts – Reside in the outer parts of a town.

🔄 Synonyms

suburbs (n.) – Residential areas on the edge of a city.

periphery (n.) – The outer edge or boundary of an area.

fringe (n.) – The outer, less central part of a place.

🚫 Antonyms

center (n.) – The middle point or core of a city.

city center (n.) – The central business and commercial district.

downtown (n./adv.) – The main business and entertainment area of a town.

📖 Cultural Story

Originates from Old English 'skyrte' meaning border or edge. Used since the 16th century to describe the outer parts of a town. Today common in real estate and urban planning contexts.