metropolis

American  

[mi-trop-uh-lis] / mɪˈtrɒp ə lɪs /

noun

metropolises plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• metropolises
  plural

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

Explanation

A large, densely populated urban area is called a metropolis. "She liked living in a metropolis because there were many opportunities in a city that were not available elsewhere, like 24-hour diners." The noun metropolis comes from the Greek roots mētēr, meaning "mother," and pólis, meaning "city." Historically, the word referred to the founding city-state of a region in Ancient Greece. Today the word refers to any urban area. The largest metropolis in Massachusetts is Boston, which is also the capital. Sometimes people use the word metropolis ironically or sarcastically: "She came from the booming metropolis of Tumbleweed, population 325."

Example Sentences

And who should arrive to put a button on the story but Superman, welcoming his cousin back to Metropolis with open arms and a flowing cape.

From Salon • Jun. 27, 2026

The government has invested heavily in recent years in the "Northern Metropolis", a vision for developing rural land bordering mainland China into a cutting-edge tech and innovation hub.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Venture funds invested $500 million in Metropolis, which hopes to roll up and automate urban parking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

In later stories, Superman’s Midwestern upbringing in Smallville, Kansas and his eventual move to the big city of Metropolis also mirrored the journeys many Americans were making during that time.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2025

Passing to more permanent characteristics, only the great national buildings would enable those present at Her Majesty’s coronation to identify the pre-Exhibition Metropolis with the capital of to-day.

From Social Transformations of the Victorian Age A Survey of Court and Country by Escott, T. H. S. (Thomas Hay Sweet)

Related Words

• capital
• downtown
• municipality