What Is the Abbreviation?
Township
Noun
There are many ways to abbreviate Township. The most common abbreviations are:
Twp is the most commonly used abbreviation; however, there are several instances where twsp can be used in sentences, too.
The abbreviation for township is normally used for real estate and government documents.
For example:
- The Twsp. of Georgian Bay has beautiful islands and white sands. It’s also a good spot for a holiday with lots of activities, such as canoeing.
- The government has built a bridge connecting the two twps. to ease travel and movement.
- There is an increase in trade in the small township.
- Most people from the north settled in the township.
In academic or formal writing, the abbreviation for township should not be used.
What Does Township Mean?
The word township is a noun and refers to a geographical area that is run by its local government. A township defines its own identity, separate from any other city, municipality, or village.
For example:
Washington Township is located in New Jersey.
Lexico.com describes a North American township as both “a division of a county with some corporate powers” and “a district six miles square.”
A township can also mean a kind of settlement. For instance, in South Africa, it refers to “a suburb or city of predominantly black occupation, formerly officially designated for black occupation by apartheid legislation.”
For example:
The United Nations is planning to create township settlements in response to the devastating earthquake.
Origin of the Word
Historically, in Britain, a township was a manor or parish, and the English word evolved from the Old English tunscipe. Later, it also referred to a territorial division, small town, or village, which formed part of a large parish. In Australia and New Zealand, a township meant a small town. Use of the word in the U.S. and Canada first appeared in 1685. The South African usage, as an “area set aside for non-whites,” dates from 1934.
Synonyms for Township
- City
- County
- Field
- Locality
- Neighborhood
- Section
- Sector
- Square
- State
- Territory
- Zone
- Belt
- Block
- Division
- Domain
- Dominion
- Enclosure
- Kingdom
- Parcel
- Patch
- Plot
- Precinct
- Vicinity
- Ward
- Principality
- Quarter
- Sphere
- Stretch
- Tract
- Turf
Examples of the Word in Context
“Days ahead of National Doughnut Day—a made-up food holiday where businesses give away free fried treats—a suspect identified as an actor jumped over the counter at a Dunkin’ in South Brunswick, New Jersey, and took a doughnut without paying, the Township’s police department tweeted on Tuesday.”
—USA Today
“The Township has all of the municipal powers available to Utah municipalities under the Utah Municipal Code with the exception of certain taxing powers.”
—Emigration Canyon Metro Township
“Perry Township is located in Southeastern Lawrence County, Pennsylvania approximately 40 miles north of Pittsburgh.”
—Perry Township
“The South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, signed off last week on the decision to send the army into the Cape Flats, a sprawling area of townships that is a legacy of the repressive and racist apartheid regime’s policy of separating white and non-white communities.”
—The Guardian
“Speaking about Monday when the couple visited Nyanga Township in Cape Town, the duke replied: ‘Yesterday was great and to start in Nyanga was amazing.’”
—The Daily Mail
Examples of the Abbreviation in Context
- The Dept. of Children in the Twp. of Topeka is worried about the high number of abandoned children.
- The mtn. range is the largest in South Africa and crosses multiple twsps.
- This hwy leads to the Twp. of Smithsville.
- 5540 Red Creek Rd., Rockville Twsp., FL
- The twp. only has one post office.”
- Lexington is one of the oldest twsps. in the U.S.
Additional United States Postal Service (USPS) Landmark and Street Name Abbreviations
ALY Alley
ANX Annex
BCH Beach
BLDG Building
BND Bend
BRG Burg
BRK Brook
BYP Bypass
BLF Bluff
BTM Bottom
CLB Club
CMN Common
CRES Crescent
CRK Creek
CRSE Course
CRST Crest
CSWY Causeway
CTR Center
EXPY Expressway
FLD Field
FLT Flat
FRD Ford
FRG Forge
FRK Fork
FWY Freeway
GDN Garden
GLN Glen
GRN Green
GRV Grove
GTWY Gateway
HBR Harbor
HOLW Hollow
HVN Haven
HWY Highway
INLT Inlet
JCT Junction
KNL Knoll
LCK Lock
LDG Lodge
LGT Light
LNDG Landing
MDW Meadow
MNR Manor
MSN Mission
MTN Mountain
NCK Neck
ORCH Orchard
PLN Plain
PLZ Plaza
PKWY Parkway
PRT Port
RADL Radial
RDG Ridge
RIV River
RNCH Ranch
RPD Rapid
RTE Route
SHLS Shoals
SHR Shore
SMT Summit
SPG Spring
STRM Stream
SQ Square
TRCE Trace
TRL Trail
TPKE Turnpike
TUNL Tunnel
VLG Village
VLY Valley
VW View
WLS Wells
XING Crossing
Sources:
- https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/township
- https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Help:Writing_definitions
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/township
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Township#Canada
- https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=township&source=ds_search
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2019/06/06/wanted-new-jersey-donut-desperado-steals-doughnut-dunkin/1374353001/
- https://www.ecmetro.org/
- http://www.perrytownshiplawrencecountypa.com/
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/19/south-african-army-townships-gang-violence
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7497617/Meghan-Markle-Prince-Harry-meet-underprivileged-children-Cape-Town-beach.html
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.