also: いちなか
in the city; within the city
Refers to the area inside a city, often used in contrast to suburbs or rural areas. Common in news and formal contexts.
市中の銀行は午後3時に閉まる。
Banks in the city close at 3 p.m.
市中感染が拡大している。
Community transmission (within the city) is spreading.
in the community; among the public
Used in economic or social contexts to mean 'in the general public' or 'in the market', as opposed to within a specific institution. Often seen in terms like 市中銀行 (commercial bank) or 市中金利 (market interest rate).
市中銀行の金利が低下した。
Interest rates at commercial banks have fallen.
その情報はまだ市中に出回っていない。
That information hasn't circulated among the public yet.
It seems that counterfeit banknotes are circulating in the market.
A new virus is spreading within the community.
That stock is being actively traded on the open market.
世間 refers broadly to society or the public in general, while 市中 in this sense narrows the focus to the general public as opposed to a specific institution (e.g. banks).
街中 emphasizes the bustling, crowded downtown area of a city, whereas 市中 is broader and more abstract, referring to the whole city area.
市場 specifically means 'the market' as an economic system, while 市中 more loosely means 'in the general public/market' as a location or sphere.
郊外 means 'the suburbs/outskirts', the direct opposite of 市中's 'within the city'.
community-acquired infection; community transmission
community-acquired pneumonia
commercial bank; city bank; private bank; high street bank
parading a criminal through town before execution (Edo period)
Standard kanji form; the reading しちゅう is the modern common reading.
Obsolete reading; it is out-dated kana usage. Included for recognition of older texts.
Compound of 市 (city, market) and 中 (inside, among). The reading しちゅう is the standard on'yomi, while いちなか is a rare kun'yomi-based reading now considered obsolete.