Spanish Conversation · Level 27
90 words
Spanish word
villa
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈbiʝa/
Meaning
- feminine nountown
Example
La villa celebra su fiesta anual.
The town celebrates its annual festival.
More examples
Visitamos la villa costera durante el verano.
We visited the coastal town during the summer.
Core concept
Small town with a historic center and municipal privileges.
Common phrases
plaza de la villa
town square
la villa medieval
medieval town
la villa costera
coastal town
Similar words
pueblo: Small community with few inhabitants and close local ties.
ciudad: Large urban center with many residents, dense buildings, and commercial and administrative roles.
barrio: District or neighborhood inside a town or city where residents live and interact.
aldea: Very small rural settlement or hamlet with sparse houses and an agricultural character.
Definition in Spanish
Núcleo urbano pequeño o pueblo con cierta importancia histórica o administrativa, usado también en nombres de localidades.
Word origin
From Latin villa 'country estate', it broadens in the Romance languages to mean a settlement and in medieval Spanish becomes a small town with historical or administrative standing.
Usage tips
- Unlike English villa meaning a holiday house, Spanish villa usually denotes a small town and often appears in place names or formal documents.