county

A county is defined as an administrative division of a state or country.

(noun)

An example of a county is Suffolk County on Long Island in New York.

The definition of county refers to an administrative division in a state or country.

(adjective)

An example of county used as an adjective is in the phrase "county court," which means a court of that particular geographic area.

See county in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. counties

a small administrative district of a country; esp.,
1. ☆ the largest local administrative subdivision of most states of the U.S.
2. any of the chief administrative districts into which England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland are divided
3. an administrative district in certain Canadian provinces
4. an electoral district in rural New Zealand
the people living in a county
Obsolete the region governed by a count or earl

Origin: ME counte < OFr conté < ML comitatus, jurisdiction of a count or earl < L comes: see count

adjective

of, in, for, or characteristic of a county

See county in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. coun·ties

The largest administrative division of most states in the United States.
a. A territorial division exercising administrative, judicial, and political functions in Great Britain and Ireland.
b. The territory under the jurisdiction of a count or earl.
The people living in a county.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English counte, territorial division

Origin: , from Old French conte, the territory of a count

Origin: , from Medieval Latin comitātus

Origin: , from Late Latin, the office of count

Origin: , from Latin, retinue

Origin: , from comes, comit-, companion; see ei- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: