metropolis

American  

[mi-trop-uh-lis] / mɪˈtrɒp ə lɪs /

noun

plural

metropolises

1. any large, busy city.

2. the chief, and sometimes capital, city of a country, state, or region.

3. a central or principal place, as of some activity.

   the music metropolis of France.

4. the mother city or parent state of a colony, especially of an ancient Greek colony.

5. the chief see of an ecclesiastical province.

---

metropolis British  

/ mɪˈtrɒpəlɪs /

noun

1. the main city, esp of a country or region; capital

2. a centre of activity

3. the chief see in an ecclesiastical province

---

Etymology

Origin of metropolis

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin mētropolis < Greek mētrópolis a mother state or city, equivalent to mētro-, combining form of mḗtēr mother ¹ + pólis -polis, polis

Example Sentences

Garbage-choked streets, overloaded landfills and the fear of trash avalanches haunt greater Jakarta, as the world's most populous metropolis grapples with a waste crisis.

From Barron's

It is now a ramshackle, seemingly lost-in-time metropolis where residents sit on porches observing the unsteady progress of cars navigating pothole-ridden streets.

From Los Angeles Times

Chongqing - a humid southwestern metropolis which once made global headlines for a corruption scandal and murder - turned popular and cool.

From BBC

Now, this sprawling metropolis set against the stunning, snowy Mount Damavand is decked out in flags and bunting to mark what's known as the "ten days of dawn".

From BBC

Part of the “gay tax” described in “Money Proud” is what it costs not only to live in a major metropolis, but also to enjoy it.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• capital
• downtown
• municipality