a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
"Ancient Troy was a great city"
an incorporated administrative district established by state charter
"the city raised the tax rate"
people living in a large densely populated municipality
"the city voted for Republicans in 1994"
A large settlement, bigger than a town; sometimes with a specific legal definition, depending on the place.
"The new highway project will finally connect our bustling city to the neighboring province, though it still lacks the official legal status required for federal funding."
In plain English: A city is a large town with many buildings, people, and services where lots of folks live and work together.
"We went to the city for some shopping and dinner."
Usage: Use "city" to refer to a large urban settlement that typically has a formal municipal government and greater population than a town. It functions as a common noun for any major metropolitan area in everyday conversation.
The City of London, the historic core of London where the Roman settlement of Londinium was established.
"During the guided tour, we walked through the narrow streets of the City to see where the ancient Romans first built their settlement."
The word city entered English from the French cite and originally referred to a citizenry before shifting to mean an urban settlement. It ultimately traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to lie down or settle," which also gave rise to related terms for household members in Old English.