metropolitan
Americanadjective
-
of, noting, or characteristic of a metropolis or its inhabitants, especially in culture, sophistication, or in accepting and combining a wide variety of people, ideas, etc.
-
of or relating to a large city, its surrounding suburbs, and other neighboring communities.
the New York metropolitan area.
-
pertaining to or constituting a mother country.
-
pertaining to an ecclesiastical metropolis.
noun
-
an inhabitant of a metropolis.
-
a person who has the sophistication, fashionable taste, or other habits and manners associated with those who live in a metropolis.
-
Eastern Church. the head of an ecclesiastical province.
-
an archbishop in the Church of England.
-
Roman Catholic Church. an archbishop who has authority over one or more suffragan sees.
-
(in ancient Greece) a citizen of the mother city or parent state of a colony.
adjective
-
of or characteristic of a metropolis
-
constituting a city and its suburbs
the metropolitan area
-
of, relating to, or designating an ecclesiastical metropolis
-
of or belonging to the home territories of a country, as opposed to overseas territories
metropolitan France
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of metropolitan
1300–50; Middle English < Late Latin mētropolītānus of, belonging to a metropolis < Greek mētropolī́t ( ēs ) ( see metropolis, -ite 1) + Latin -ānus -an
Explanation
The adjective metropolitan describes something that's characteristic of a city. You really enjoy metropolitan life — there's always something happening, and you can walk or take the subway anywhere you want to go. The word metropolitan comes from metropolis, which in Greek means mother city, made up of mētēr meaning mother, and polis meaning city. A person who lives in a metropolis, or city, is also called a metropolitan. You may have loved cities even when you were growing up in the suburbs, looking forward to the day you could become a true metropolitan in the biggest city you could find.
Vocabulary lists containing metropolitan
Southeast Asia - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Southeast Asia - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Southeast Asia - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 smaller Newark, N.J., metropolitan division is a grouping within the larger metro area.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
In the Nice Côte d'Azur metropolitan area, dense development and heavy tourism make the challenge especially demanding.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026
In Tirana's metropolitan area alone, there are almost four hundred dental clinics – and most of them are in the city centre.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Most opportunities for filmmaking are still based in the San Juan metropolitan area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
According to one study, during a twelve-year period, the number of people returning from prison back home to “core counties”—those counties that contain the inner city of a metropolitan area—tripled.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
