metropolis

[ mi-trop-uh-lis ]

noun

, plural me·trop·o·lis·es.

1. any large, busy city.
2. the chief, and sometimes capital, city of a country, state, or region.
3. a central or principal place, as of some activity:

   the music metropolis of France.

4. the mother city or parent state of a colony, especially of an ancient Greek colony.
5. the chief see of an ecclesiastical province.

metropolis

/ mɪˈtrɒpəlɪs /

noun

1. the main city, esp of a country or region; capital
2. a centre of activity
3. the chief see in an ecclesiastical province

Word History and Origins

Origin of metropolis¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin mētropolis < Greek mētrópolis a mother state or city, equivalent to mētro-, combining form of mḗtēr mother ¹ + pólis -polis, polis

Word History and Origins

Origin of metropolis¹

C16: from Late Latin from Greek: mother city or state, from mētēr mother + polis city

Example Sentences

“It’s worthy of recognition in the history of Owens Valley, to show how this community stood up to this huge metropolis with lots of power and money.”

From Los Angeles Times

A metropolis where Little Bangladesh barely knows anything about Tehrangeles and vice versa will never truly work, no matter how much boosters claim it does.

From Los Angeles Times

But she somehow made her way around the busy metropolis to the Santa Monica Mountains by the summer — crossing, at least, the 5 Freeway, perhaps using an underpass, wildlife officials had said.

From Los Angeles Times

While his comments provoked ridicule from local lawmakers and civic leaders, they received applause from the audience of rich and largely white business figures who make up a small minority in the largely Black metropolis.

From Salon

County as a broken, crime-ridden metropolis in need of a “hard middle” D.A. who cares about reducing prison populations but still has the resolve to put the bad guys away.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• capital
• downtown
• municipality