city hall

American  

noun

(often initial capital letters)

1. the administration building of a city government.

2. a city administration or government.

3. Informal. a bureaucracy or bureaucratic rules and regulations, especially that of a city government.

   You can't fight city hall.

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city hall British  

noun

1. the building housing the administrative offices of a city or municipal government

2. 1. municipal government

   2. the officials of a municipality collectively

3. informal bureaucracy

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Etymology

Origin of city hall

An Americanism dating back to 1665–75

Example Sentences

To get one more shot to fight city hall, and win.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Altadena has never organized itself around a traditional civic center, like a city hall plaza or downtown square.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

His longshot bid for city hall comes on the anniversary of a wildfire that destroyed his home and became one of California's most destructive blazes on record.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

The rebuke to city hall led Mayor Watson to call for an audit of government spending—which he might have thought of before seeking a tax hike.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025

Instead I sat at the desk and stared out the window, at the city hall of Cambridge and a row of small shops.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• town hall