urban sprawl.

The outward spread of relatively low-density urban development over a large area.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• unchecked urban sprawl
• limit urban sprawl

On the page

Urban sprawl had carried the last housing estate beyond the ridge.

The council tried to limit urban sprawl without denying the need for new homes.

Usage notes

Primary category: setting. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.