🇵🇹Portuguese Source WordCode: PT

espalhamento urbano

Pronunciation / Transliteration: espalhamento urbano

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Urban Sprawl/ˈɜːr.bən sprɔːl/
nounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1500 frequency
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🇵🇹 Example Sentence in Portuguese:

"O espalhamento urbano traz desafios para a infraestrutura."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas into the surrounding rural land.

    "The city has been facing significant urban sprawl, leading to increased traffic congestion and loss of green spaces."
  2. 2

    A pattern of development characterized by low-density housing and reliance on automobiles.

    "Urban sprawl often results in communities that are disconnected and lack public transportation options."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'urban sprawl' emerged in the mid-20th century, combining 'urban', derived from the Latin 'urbanus' meaning 'of a city', and 'sprawl', which comes from the Old English 'sprowlian', meaning to spread out or extend. The phrase reflects the phenomenon of cities expanding into surrounding rural areas, often leading to environmental and social challenges.

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