Definition

1. Noun:
   • (United States) A primary administrative division of a state: A county is the largest local government administrative district within a U.S. state, responsible for services like law enforcement, road maintenance, and public records.
   • (United Kingdom) A territorial division for local government: A county is a geographical region created for the purpose of local administration, with its own council and historical identity.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The county plans to build a new library. (The administrative district's government has made a plan for construction.)
  • She lives in a rural county known for its farms. (She resides in a countryside administrative district.)
  • The historic county of Yorkshire is famous for its beautiful landscapes. (The traditional UK region has a notable reputation.)

Advanced Usage

• "County council": The elected governing body of a county, especially in the UK.
  • The county council voted on the new budget.
• "County seat": The town or city that is the administrative center of a county.
  • The courthouse is located in the county seat.
• "County fair": An annual public event in a county, typically featuring agricultural exhibits and entertainment.
  • We entered our pies in the county fair.

Variants and Related Words

• Countywide (adj): Extending across an entire county.
  • The countywide recycling program begins next month.
• Intercounty (adj): Occurring between or involving different counties.
  • An intercounty agreement was reached.

Synonyms

• Shire (n): A term, especially in the UK, for a county (e.g., Yorkshire is also called the county of York).
• Administrative district (n): A formal term for a region defined for governmental purposes.
• Borough (n): A related but often smaller or more specific type of administrative division, sometimes within a county.

Related Phrases

• "To go county": (Informal, US) To be taken into the custody of the county jail.
  • After his arrest, he went county for a few days.
• "County lines": (UK) Refers to drug trafficking operations where illegal drugs are transported from cities into smaller towns and rural counties.
  • The police are cracking down on county lines operations.

Related Idioms

• "County family": (UK) A family that has lived in a particular county for many generations and is often part of the local gentry.
  • They are one of the oldest county families in the region.
• "County set": (UK) Refers to the traditional, often wealthy, social group associated with country life in a county.
  • The party was full of the local county set.

Noun

1. (United States) the largest administrative district within a state
   • the county plans to build a new road
2. (United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government
   • the county has a population of 12,345 people