metropolis

noun

me·​trop·​o·​lis mə-ˈträ-p(ə-)ləs How to pronounce metropolis (audio)
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

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
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.
The Brazilian coastal metropolis has world-famous beaches worth singing serenades about—and many musicians have. Joel Balsam, AFAR Media, 1 Apr. 2025 As Deadline has been telling you for months, the Rocky Mountain metropolis has been in pole position over the United Utah bid and the efforts of Cincinnati, Ohio since the Robert Redford founded cinema celebration revealed the trio of finalists last September. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2025 While America’s major metropolises are keeping their top spots, the ranking exemplifies the growing power of U.S. Sun Belt cities which have been attracting residents with favorable climate and lower cost of living. Katharina Buchholz, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 In the 1980s, the financially strapped metropolis faced a variety of issues, including widening poverty, the crack cocaine epidemic, and the AIDS epidemic and underfunding for AIDS relief. Alice George, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for metropolis

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of metropolis was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Metropolis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metropolis. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

metropolis

noun
me·​trop·​o·​lis mə-ˈträp-(ə-)ləs How to pronounce metropolis (audio)
1
: the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region
2
: a large important city

More from Merriam-Webster on metropolis

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