metropolis

[ mi-trop-uh-lis ]

/ mɪˈtrɒp ə lɪs /

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noun, plural me·trop·o·lis·es.

any large, busy city.

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

a central or principal place, as of some activity: the music metropolis of France.

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

the chief see of an ecclesiastical province.

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Origin of metropolis

1350–1400; Middle English <Late Latin mētropolis<Greek mētrópolis a mother state or city, equivalent to mētro-, combining form of mḗtērmother¹ + pólis-polis, polis

Words nearby metropolis

metronidazole, metronome, metronymic, metrophobia, Metroplex, metropolis, metropolitan, metropolitan county, metropolitan district, metropolitanize, Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use metropolis in a sentence

From Shanghai to Seoul, Tokyo to Singapore, Asia’s muggy, rapidly rising metropolises have been among the first in the world to embrace indoor farms at scale.
Inside Singapore’s huge bet on vertical farming|Katie McLean|October 13, 2020|MIT Technology Review
San Diego can’t afford to turn away from those water sources that supported its growth from a small farming mission to a sprawling metropolis.
The Water Authority Is Resurrecting Its Pipe Dream – Again|MacKenzie Elmer|September 1, 2020|Voice of San Diego
With her family originally hailing from Louisiana, Knowles-Lawson spent her childhood in Galveston, Texas, but it was the metropolis of Houston that taught her she had to dream big to be big.
How Beyoncé and Solange Were Shaped by Childhood Therapy|Joy Nesbitt|August 13, 2020|Ozy
It is now a thriving, diverse, and welcoming metropolis, and one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
Charlotte : Celebrating Diversity in the Queen City|LGBTQ-Editor|August 11, 2020|No Straight News

Nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is an industrious metropolis that’s an exciting place for the LGBTQ community.
Chicago: A Midwestern Jewel for the LGBTQ Community|LGBTQ-Editor|July 11, 2020|No Straight News
The town of Liqian sits on the edge of the Gobi desert, 200 miles from any metropolis, and 4,500 miles from Rome.
The Chinese Town Descended From Romans?|Nina Strochlic|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But in New York City, a metropolis with an abundance of concrete and very few fields of grass, a far more subtle display appears.
How the Circus Got a Social Conscience|Justin Jones|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The 30-something heroine glamorized the metropolis and its coveted name brands, Arora says.
How Brooklyn Invaded Paris—Next Stop, the World|Brandon Presser|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was the Civil War that drove Leslie from his Cincinnati home to the bustling metropolis of New York City.
The High Society Bank Robber of the 1800s|J. North Conway|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The co-owner of Metropolis Collectables, Vincent has Wolverine mutton chops, a Tony Stark goatee, and Lex Luthor swagger.
The Holy Grail of Comic Books Hid in Plain Site at New York Comic Con|Sujay Kumar|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As for Brammel, he consented, as he was ready to agree to any thing but a personal visit to the great metropolis.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Manila was formerly the capital of the province of that name, as well as the Philippine metropolis.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
He settled at Shawmut, which was finally determined upon for the metropolis, and named Boston.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Before the close of the year, it found its way from Sunderland and Newcastle to the suburbs of the metropolis.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
In the metropolis, an extraordinary assembly of the national union took place.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III.|E. Farr and E. H. Nolan

British Dictionary definitions for metropolis

metropolis

/ (mɪˈtrɒpəlɪs) /

noun plural -lises

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

a centre of activity

the chief see in an ecclesiastical province

Word Origin for metropolis

C16: from Late Latin from Greek: mother city or state, from mētēr mother + polis city

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

metropolis

Origin of metropolis

Words nearby metropolis

Words related to metropolis

How to use metropolis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for metropolis

Word Origin for metropolis