Ville.
ETYM Cf. French agglomération.
A jumbled collection or mass.
The clustering of activities or people at specific points or areas; for example, at a route center. Firms or individuals that cluster together can often share facilities and services, resulting in lower costs (agglomeration economies, including economy of scale).
ETYM Old Eng. cite, French cité, from Latin civitas citizenship, state, city, from civis citizen.
1. A large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts; SYN. metropolis, urban center.
2. An incorporated administrative district established by state charter.
3. People living in a large densely populated municipality; SYN. metropolis.
Generally, a large and important town. In the Middle East and ancient Europe, and in the ancient civilizations of Mexico and Peru, cities were states in themselves. In the early Middle Ages, European cities were usually those towns that were episcopal sees (seats of bishops).
In the US, a city is an incorporated municipality whose boundaries and powers of self-government are defined by charter from the state in which it is located.
In the 1980s the term “edge city” was coined to denote the growth of business sites, supermarkets, and other retail sites around the edge of both urban and suburban regions. Typically they are used by day but have no residential population.