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megalopolis

American  
[meg-uh-lop-uh-lis] / ˌmɛg əˈlɒp ə lɪs /

noun

  1. a very large city.

  2. an urban region, especially one consisting of several large cities and suburbs that adjoin each other.


megalopolis British  
/ ˌmɛɡələˈpɒlɪtən, ˌmɛɡəˈlɒpəlɪs /

noun

  1. an urban complex, usually comprising several large towns

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

megalopolis Cultural  
  1. A vast stretch of developed industrial urban area, such as the East Coast of the United States from Boston to Washington, D.C., or the Ruhr Valley in Germany. Megalopolis is from Greek words meaning “great city.”


Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of megalopolis

First recorded in 1825–35; megalo- + polis

Explanation

Enormous and dense with people, a megalopolis is a huge city, series of nearby cities, or part of an even bigger city. Mumbai is a megalopolis, but Walla Walla, Washington is not. Historians and geographers generally use the word megalopolis when they're talking about a chain of cities whose total population exceeds ten million, like the ones dotting the East Coast of the United States. The region made up of the cities between Boston and Washington, D.C. is one well-known megalopolis. The Greek suffix polis means city — think metropolis — and the prefix megas means "great."

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Vocabulary lists containing megalopolis

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The latter is a particularly bold choice to mention, when Coppola’s current self-financed film Megalopolis is being regarded as one of the biggest box office flops of all time.

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2024

The first trailer for "Megalopolis" showcased negative reviews for Coppola's films "Apocalypse Now," "The Godfather" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula."

From Salon • Sep. 11, 2024

He died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on Saturday, a representative said Tuesday, just days after his and Francis Ford Coppola’s latest film “ Megalopolis ” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

From Seattle Times • May 21, 2024

In response, the government has vowed to transform the hardest-hit areas, including Western Macedonia and Megalopolis, a coal town in the Peloponnese, into sites where new types of work would emerge.

From New York Times • Oct. 29, 2021

Andritzena is too near Megalopolis, and not to be recommended without introductions.

From Rambles and Studies in Greece by Mahaffy, J. P.

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