municipal
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to a town or city or its local government.
municipal elections.
-
Archaic. pertaining to the internal affairs of a state or nation rather than to international affairs.
noun
adjective
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
Explanation
A municipality refers to a village, town, or city that's usually governed by a mayor and council. From this noun, we get the adjective municipal, which you can use to describe something that relates to a town or its government. Your town's city council may have offices in the municipal building downtown. If you want to fight city hall, that would be the place to go. Municipal also more generally describes anything related to the town or city itself. If you live within the city limits, for example, your house may be hooked into the municipal water supply, but if you live outside the city limits you may have to have your own well.
Vocabulary lists containing municipal
Nothing But the Truth
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"Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell
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"Democracy in America, Vol. 1" by Alexis de Tocqueville, Introduction–Chapter 5
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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.
"When I started applying for municipal contracts with the City of Chicago, they wanted me to pay for projects upfront and get reimbursed later. But I didn't have the capital," Traci explains.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
If I do return, I would likely seek work in a church, nonprofit, or municipal role.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
That’s ominous news for retirees who have a lot of their money invested in regular Treasury, municipal and corporate bonds, as most do.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
Woods was scheduled to attend the opening of “The Patch,” a municipal golf course in Augusta that he helped redesign.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Suddenly, like a jack-in-a-box, a lieutenant from the Dorsets popped up from the cellar of a municipal building that had been requisitioned for a headquarters.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
