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.

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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

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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

Residents described a tense, surreal atmosphere across the metropolis of 17 million people.

From The Wall Street Journal

Efficient urban planning has transformed what was once an island of fishing villages into a gleaming metropolis of high-rises.

From BBC

An estimated 40,000 Spiritualist believers resided in that metropolis already, but with a growing population of half a million people, there was plenty of opportunity to grow the spirit cause as well.

From Literature

In the 19th and 20th centuries, it helped the city become a bustling metropolis, home to sizable European diasporas and a distinct cosmopolitan culture.

From Barron's

He had built a reputation for being tough against crime as mayor of Davao, a sprawling southern metropolis, and said peace and order were necessary to spur investments.

From BBC

Related Words

• capital
• downtown
• municipality