metropolis

noun

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

Synonyms of metropolis

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
With fewer crowds than Spain’s main metropolises, a slower pace sets the tone for a sojourn meant to be savored. — Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026 Related Stories An opening montage finds the historic metropolis full of people lost in their own individual worlds, digitally connected yet oblivious to the offscreen reality around them. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 Kennedy used some of his MacArthur money to establish what would become the New York State Writers Institute, and in 1984, a grateful metropolis laid on a citywide celebration in his honor. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 Minneapolis has long been a civic-minded metropolis, where even the choice of vegetation on highway medians can become the subject of extended public debate, in a state with a history of protest going back to the nineteenth century. — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for metropolis

See All Rhymes for metropolis

Browse Nearby Words

metropole
metropolis
metropolitan
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Metropolis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metropolis. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about metropolis

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All