metropolis

noun

me·​trop·​o·​lis mə-ˈträ-p(ə-)ləs 

1

: the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region

2

: the city or state of origin of a colony (as of ancient Greece)

3

a

: a city regarded as a center of a specified activity

an industrial metropolis

a cattle metropolis

b

: a large important city

one of Europe's great metropolises

Synonyms

• asphalt jungle
• burg
• city
• cosmopolis
• megacity
• megalopolis
• municipality
• town

Examples of metropolis in a Sentence

a big, teeming metropolis where ambitious people from all over come to make their mark

Recent Examples on the Web

Sprawling cities in the South and Southwest emerged seemingly overnight, while new suburbs encircled older metropolises in the North. —David Zipper, Vox, 13 Nov. 2024

The Dallas congressman and local native won Webb as well as populous Hidalgo and Cameron counties, home of the border-straddling metropolis of McAllen-Reynosa and Brownsville-Matamoros — but by far less than past Democrats. —Saul Elbein, The Hill, 6 Nov. 2024

In a 2024 summer when heat waves scorched much of the nation, high temperatures reached into the 90s on 21 days in New York, a humid metropolis where many residents lack home air conditioning. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 23 Sep. 2024

Authorities closed down transportation links across the metropolis of 25 million and suspended food delivery services to keep drivers safe. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin, from Greek mētropolis, from mētr-, mētēr mother + polis city — more at mother, police entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

metropolis

noun

me·​trop·​o·​lis mə-ˈträp-(ə-)ləs 

1

: the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region

2

: a large important city