city (cities plural )A city is a large town. n-count ...the city of Bologna., ...a busy city centre.
big city
The big city is used to refer to a large city which seems attractive to someone because they think there are many exciting things to do there, and many opportunities to earn a lot of money. n-sing the N
...a country girl who dreams of the big city and bright lights.
City
The City is the part of London where many important financial institutions have their main offices. People often refer to these financial institutions as the City. n-proper the N
...a foreign bank in the City..., The City fears that profits could fall.
city centre (city centres plural )The city centre is the busiest part of a city, where most of the shops and businesses are.
(mainly BRIT) n-count oft the N
There is high demand for city centre offices.
city fathers , City Fathers
You can refer to the members of a city council or city's government as the city fathers. n-plural
The city fathers have just given final approval to a new stadium.
city hall (city halls plural ), City Hall The city hall is the building which a city council uses as its main offices. n-count; n-proper
They massed in front of the city hall., ...at Sheffield City Hall.
city slicker (city slickers plural )If you refer to someone as a city slicker, you mean that they live and work in a city and are used to city life.
INFORMAL n-count
...the city slickers in the capital.
inner city (inner cities plural )You use inner city to refer to the areas in or near the centre of a large city where people live and where there are often social and economic problems. n-count
...helping kids deal with the fear of living in the inner city...
