city room: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Rare/SpecializedFormal/Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “city room” mean?
A room in a newspaper or news organization where local news and city affairs are reported and edited.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A room in a newspaper or news organization where local news and city affairs are reported and edited.
The editorial department of a newspaper responsible for covering local urban news, events, and politics; less commonly, historically, a public room in a hotel or building in a city.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning; term equally archaic in both dialects.
Connotations
Evokes a mid-20th-century newsroom setting, hustle, typewriters, and telephones.
Frequency
Extremely rare in modern usage in both varieties. Primarily found in historical contexts, novels, or films about journalism.
Grammar
How to Use “city room” in a Sentence
[journalist] works in the city roomThe [city room] was bustlingNews from the [city room]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “city room” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The city-room culture was intense.
- He had a city-room mentality.
American English
- She was a classic city-room editor.
- The city-room vibe was electric.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used in modern business contexts.
Academic
Found in historical studies of journalism or media.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
A dated technical term in journalism.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “city room”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “city room”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “city room”
- Using it to mean a generic room in a city (e.g., a hotel room).
- Thinking it is a common modern term.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is largely archaic. Modern newsrooms use terms like "metro desk," "local news desk," or simply integrate local coverage into broader newsroom workflows.
No. While the words are generic, the compound noun 'city room' is a specific journalistic term. Using it for a generic room (e.g., a hotel room) would be incorrect and confusing.
A 'newsroom' is the general editorial space for all news. A 'city room' was a specific subsection or desk within the newsroom dedicated solely to local city news.
Its decline correlates with newspaper restructuring, the merging of desks, the rise of digital journalism, and the blending of local and national/international coverage in newsroom organization.
A room in a newspaper or news organization where local news and city affairs are reported and edited.
City room is usually formal/journalistic in register.
City room: in British English it is pronounced /ˈsɪti ˌruːm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈsɪti ˌruːm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The city room never sleeps”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a bustling room in the heart of the CITY, where journalists write about ROOM (events) happening in the urban landscape.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE NEWSROOM IS A NERVE CENTER (for the city's events).
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'city room' primarily associated with?