municipality

noun

mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
1
: a primarily urban political unit having corporate (see corporate sense 1a) status and usually powers of self-government
Elections were held in the municipality.
2
: the governing body of a municipality
The municipality approved the budget for the year.

Examples of municipality in a Sentence

laws that have been enacted by many states and municipalities a municipality with an excellent police department
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In December, more than 70 area residents signed a petition requesting an election to make Starbase its own municipality. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 14 Feb. 2025 In 2001 the licence was renewed, allowing the building to continue to operate as a hotel, and in 2016 an extra floor was added without the necessary permissions from the local municipality. Emily Wither, The Dial, 13 Feb. 2025 An attempt to spur local governments to prioritize ending homelessness, the law, HB 1365, holds municipalities legally accountable for ensuring that people don’t sleep on their streets. Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025 The plane, a Beechcraft King Air 300, crashed in the municipality of Ampatuan in Maguindanao del Sur Province on the southern island of Mindanao, the Philippine authorities said on Friday. Camille Elemia, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for municipality 

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of municipality was in 1790

Dictionary Entries Near municipality

Cite this Entry

“Municipality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/municipality. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

municipality

noun
mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌnis-ə-ˈpal-ət-ē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
: a self-governing city or town

Legal Definition

municipality

noun
mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
: a primarily urban municipal corporation
also : the governing body of a municipality

More from Merriam-Webster on municipality

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!