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

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

The sprawling, splendiferous, aging metropolis is not an easy place to manage and it humbles all its would-be saviors.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

Ma’s downfall coincided with investigations against officials with whom he had worked previously, including in Xinjiang and the southeastern metropolis of Shenzhen.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Tehran's many parks, usually green lungs in a metropolis often choked by pollution, have become refuges since the fighting began.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

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 • Feb. 23, 2026

Let us be dissatisfied until those who live on the outskirts of hope are brought into the metropolis of daily security.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

Related Words

• capital
• downtown
• municipality