municipal

American  

[myoo-nis-uh-puhl] / myuˈnɪs ə pəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a town or city or its local government.

   municipal elections.

2. Archaic. pertaining to the internal affairs of a state or nation rather than to international affairs.

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noun

1. a municipal bond.

municipal British  

/ mjuːˈnɪsɪpəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to a town, city, or borough or its local government

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Other Word Forms

• intermunicipal adjective
• municipalism noun
• municipalist noun
• municipally adverb
• nonmunicipal adjective
• nonmunicipally adverb
• premunicipal adjective
• quasi-municipal adjective
• quasi-municipally adverb
• supermunicipal adjective

Etymology

Origin of municipal

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin mūnicipālis, from mūnicip-, stem of mūniceps “citizen of a free town” (from mūni(a) “duties” + -ceps, combining form of capere “to take”; prince ) + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

Treasurys, says Andrew Clinton, CEO of Clinton Investments in Stamford, Conn. “For those in high tax brackets, the taxable equivalent yields of municipal bonds are often higher than those of taxable CDs and Treasurys.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Surprisingly, the LFI does not appear to have been badly damaged, and pulled through the first round of the municipal elections with strong results.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

Valencia said the city could make a case for an exemption because he believed the Surplus Land Act was designed for smaller properties like school sites and municipal office buildings.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

This month, the National Rally’s backing could prove instrumental again to help him win municipal elections in his hometown of Nice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Suddenly I held out my hand and we shook, he gravely, from the pompous height of his municipal and military dream.

From "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner