austin

austin — noun

1. a city in the south-central United States that serves as the seat of government

1.nounB1
Definition

a city in the south-central United States that serves as the seat of government for Texas, sitting beside the Colorado River and known for live music, tech companies, and the main campus of the University of Texas.

Example

Jamal is moving from Boston to the city of Austin in central Texas to start a software job.

place name used as destination after 'to'

Austin hosts the South by Southwest festival every March, which brings thousands of musicians to the city.

Austin as subject of an active verb

Common collocations
  • Austin, Texas
  • downtown Austin
  • the city of Austin
  • move to Austin
  • Austin city limits

Grammar Patterns

used as a place name without 'the'

Usage Note

Capitalised as a proper noun and used without 'the'. Often paired with 'Texas' on first mention (Austin, Texas) so readers don't confuse it with the personal name Austin or other small towns of the same name.

Common Mistakes

I flew to the Austin last weekend.
I flew to Austin last weekend.
city names are not used with 'the'.
Austin is the capital of America.
Austin is the capital of Texas.
Austin is a state capital, not the national capital (Washington, D.C.).

Word family

  • Austinite
    nounC1
  • Austin-based
    adjectiveB2

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Austin, Texas
  • downtown Austin
  • the city of Austin
  • Austin airport
  • Austin city limits

Phrases

  • live in Austin
  • move to Austin
  • fly into Austin
  • based in Austin

Prepositions

  • in Austin
  • to Austin
  • from Austin
  • near Austin

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishAmerican English

The city was founded in 1839 and named in honour of Stephen F. Austin, an early settler often called the 'Father of Texas' for organising the first English-speaking colony in the region. The surname Austin itself is a medieval English shortening of the Latin name Augustinus, meaning 'venerable' or 'great', and was popularised in Britain through the monk Saint Augustine.