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 After voters passed a ballot initiative in 2022, municipalities in Michigan are required to hold at least nine days of early voting for each statewide and federal election, with early voting locations mandated to remain open for at least eight hours on those days. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 2024 The county's primary revenue source is its property tax levy, but since 2011 the state has placed limits on how much municipalities can increase revenue from the levy. Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 23 Oct. 2024 Check Local Building Codes: Many municipalities are updating building codes to account for new climate realities. Monica Sanders, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Richard Green, director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, said even if cities do nothing, Proposition 33 could depress construction at least somewhat, because some developers may fear that municipalities will later change their minds and subject their properties to strict controls. Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for municipality 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'municipality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 5 Nov. 2024.

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!