metropolis

[mi-trop-uh-lis]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR metropolis ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Origin of metropolis

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin mētropolis < Greek mētrópolis a mother state or city, equivalent to mētro-, combining form of mḗtēr mother¹ + pólis -polis, polis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for metropolis

downtown, municipality, capital, megalopolis

Examples from the Web for metropolis

Contemporary Examples of metropolis

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
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
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
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
All we really know so far is that there will be a football match between Gotham City University and Metropolis State University.
The Super-Stuffed Superhero Movie
Chancellor Agard
December 11, 2013

Historical Examples of metropolis

I'll be city-sick the first thing I know, and then I'll make a break for the metropolis.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
I was now known by name at every public place in and near the metropolis.
Beaux and Belles of England
Mary Robinson
This Maori town may be considered the metropolis of the Ngatewhatua tribe.
Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2)
William Delisle Hay
You and Beatrix will soon be great moral forces in the metropolis.
The Dominant Strain
Anna Chapin Ray
From here the first pair of omnibuses in the Metropolis were started on July 4, 1829.
Hampstead and Marylebone
Geraldine Edith Mitton

British Dictionary definitions for metropolis

metropolis

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

Word Origin and History for metropolis

"seat of a metropolitan bishop," 1530s, from Late Latin metropolis; see metropolitan. Meaning "chief town or capital city of a province" is first attested 1580s, earlier metropol (late 14c.).