A suburb is a residential area on the outskirts of a city, where houses spread out with yards and quieter streets. While cities pack buildings close together with apartments and offices, suburbs typically have single-family homes, local schools, and shopping centers, connected to the nearby city by roads and highways.

Suburbs grew dramatically in America after World War II, when returning soldiers started families and new highways made it possible to live farther from work. Developers built thousands of similar houses in places like Levittown, New York, creating entire communities seemingly overnight.

People choose suburbs for different reasons: more space for children to play, yards for gardens or pets, and often quieter neighborhoods than city centers. Others prefer cities for their walkability, cultural attractions, and shorter commutes. A suburban lifestyle usually means driving more, since houses, stores, and workplaces sit farther apart than in dense urban areas.

The word can also describe an attitude or style associated with this setting. When someone calls something suburban, they might mean comfortable and family-oriented, though sometimes people use it to suggest bland or overly conventional. A suburbanite is simply someone who lives in the suburbs.