conurbation

English

Etymology

From Latin con- (“together”) + urbs (“city”) + -ation. Coined by Scottish biologist, sociologist, and geographer Patrick Geddes in 1915.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌkɒnəˈbeɪʃən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌkɑnɚˈbeɪʃən/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  Rhymes: -eɪʃən

Noun

conurbation (plural conurbations)

1. A continuous aggregation of built-up urban communities created as a result of urban sprawl.

Usage notes

A Dictionary of Geography distinguishes between uninuclear conurbations (conurbations which have developed around one urban area) and polynuclear conurbations (conurbations which have developed from the aggregation of several urban areas).

Related terms

• conurbia
• suburban
• suburbia
• urban
• urbane
• urbanise
• urbanite
• urbanize

 

Translations

an extended collection of urban communities; urban sprawl

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 都市圈 (dūshìquān)

• Czech: konurbace f
• Dutch: agglomeratie (nl), stedengroep
• Finnish: konurbaatio, megalopoli
• French: conurbation (fr) f, agglomération (fr) f
• German: Ballungsgebiet n, Ballungsraum (de) m, Ballungszentrum (de) n, Konurbation f, Zusammenwuchs von Städten m

• Hungarian: konurbáció (hu)
• Italian: conurbazione (it) f
• Manx: covaljys m
• Portuguese: conurbação (pt) f
• Russian: конурба́ция (ru) f (konurbácija)
• Spanish: conurbación (es) f
• Swedish: konurbation c, storstadsregion c

References

• 2005, Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson, The Oxford Dictionary of English (2nd edition revised), Oxford University Press, →ISBN
• 2005, John Scott and Gordon Marshall, A Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford University Press, →ISBN
• 2004, Susan Mayhew, A Dictionary of Geography, Oxford University Press, →ISBN