cosmopolis
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of cosmopolis
1890–95; cosmo- + -polis, modeled on metropolis
Explanation
Any massive, bustling city with a globally diverse population might be described as a cosmopolis. New York City, with its millions of people, immense political and financial influence, and melting pot of cultures, is the quintessential modern cosmopolis. Cosmopolis stems from two Greek words: cosmos, meaning "world," and polis, meaning "city." Literally a "world-city," a cosmopolis is a place that feels like a universe unto itself. Because it's a hub of international influence, it acts a bit like a microcosm of the globe — a single city where people from almost every background, culture, and country intersect. The term cosmopolitan, "composed of or familiar with people from all over the world," is an adjective form of the same concept.
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.
Each had made the people of this doubly landlocked country — one of only two, the other being Liechtenstein — of 34 million part of a greater world, a cosmopolis, a comity of nations.
From New York Times ● May 11, 2020
From the loathsome lusus naturae of behemoth horror series to the sprawling cosmopolis of complex management simulators, video games often feature wrenched contortions of the natural world as core tenets in environmental design.
From The Verge ● Feb. 13, 2020
Mr Crosby has been flexible enough to run two winning campaigns for London mayor Boris Johnson, a pro-immigrant politician in the world’s ultimate cosmopolis.
From The Guardian ● Nov. 20, 2012
Bearden is artist in chief of the modern cosmopolis, griot in residence of the global village.
From New York Times ● Dec. 8, 2011
Immediately the eye veered, however, the great cosmopolis formed by street meeting avenue tore down the illusion.
From Every Soul Hath Its Song by Hurst, Fannie
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.
