a permanent resident of a town or city, or someone who lives in an urban area rather than the countryside.
From 'town' + '-ie' (informal suffix). Can also be spelled 'towny.' Developed in English to distinguish permanent residents from visitors or rural people.
At universities, 'townies' and students used to have serious rivalries because they were literally different classes—one group owned the town while the other was temporary visitors, creating social tensions that became folklore in college towns.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.