municipality

noun

mu·nic·i·pal·i·ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē

plural municipalities

Synonyms of municipality

: a primarily urban political unit (such as a city or town) having corporate (see corporate sense 1a) status and usually powers of self-government

Elections were held in the municipality.

: 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

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.

Joseph Napoli has been hired as village manager for the municipality at an annual salary of $215,000. — Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026 Look on the municipality’s website for bagging requirements and drop-off hours. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026 Their presentations revealed a patchwork of efforts, with municipalities and organizations moving ahead while seeking clearer coordination and financial commitments. — Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 While winter isn't here yet, its impact is already being felt in the wallets of municipalities across the Pittsburgh region. — Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for municipality

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of municipality was in 1790

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Municipality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/municipality. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

municipality

noun

mu·nic·i·pal·i·ty myu̇-ˌnis-ə-ˈpal-ət-ē

plural municipalities

: a self-governing city or town

Legal Definition

municipality

noun

mu·nic·i·pal·i·ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē

plural municipalities

: a primarily urban municipal corporation

also : the governing body of a municipality

municipality

noun

Synonyms of municipality

Examples of municipality in a Sentence

Word History

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Legal Definition

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municipality

noun

Synonyms of municipality

Examples of municipality in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for municipality

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Legal Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on municipality

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

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Popular in Grammar & Usage

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Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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Popular in Wordplay

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16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

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