edinburgh

IPA/ˈed.ɪn.bər.ə/
KK[ˈɛdənbɚo]IPA/ˈed.ɪn.bɚ.ə/

edinburgh — noun

1. Scotland's main city, where the national parliament meets, known for its histori

1.nounB1
Definition

Scotland's main city, where the national parliament meets, known for its historic castle, royal palace, and annual arts festivals that attract visitors from everywhere.

Example

Lara spent a long weekend in Edinburgh visiting the historic castle and the royal palace.

collocation: spend time in Edinburgh

Every August, Edinburgh welcomes visitors from around the world for its famous arts festival.

collocation: Edinburgh welcomes visitors / Edinburgh festival

Common collocations
  • the city of Edinburgh
  • Edinburgh Castle
  • the University of Edinburgh
  • the Edinburgh Festival
  • based in Edinburgh

Common Mistakes

Edinburg
Edinburgh
the city name is spelled with an 'h' at the end, like 'burgh'.

2. the local government area and city region of Edinburgh, covering about one hundr

2.nounB2
Definition

the local government area and city region of Edinburgh, covering about one hundred square miles along the Firth of Forth, with its own elected council that manages public services.

Example

The city of Edinburgh covers around one hundred square miles along the Firth of Forth.

collocation: the city of Edinburgh covers [area]

Nadia checked the Edinburgh council website for information about local waste collection services.

collocation: Edinburgh council / Edinburgh council website

Common collocations
  • the city of Edinburgh
  • Edinburgh council
  • Edinburgh's population
  • the Edinburgh area
  • within Edinburgh

Usage Note

This sense is typically used in official or statistical contexts about local government boundaries, population figures, and administrative services. For tourism and cultural references, use sense 1 (SCOTTISH CAPITAL).

Word family

  • Edinburghian
    nounC1
  • Edinburghian
    adjectiveC1

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Edinburgh Castle
  • Edinburgh Festival
  • University of Edinburgh
  • Edinburgh council
  • Edinburgh Airport
  • Edinburgh city centre

Phrases

  • the city of Edinburgh
  • the Edinburgh area
  • the outskirts of Edinburgh
  • the capital city of Edinburgh

Prepositions

  • in Edinburgh
  • to Edinburgh
  • from Edinburgh
  • near Edinburgh
  • around Edinburgh
  • based in Edinburgh

Etymology

BrittonicOld EnglishScotsEnglish

The name Edinburgh comes from the Brittonic Celtic name Din Eidyn ('Fort of Eidyn'), which was later adopted into Old English as Eidenburh ('Eidyn's fort'). The 'burgh' part is the Scots word for a fortified town or settlement. The modern spelling emerged in the late Middle Ages.