municipal
Americanadjective
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of or relating to a town or city or its local government.
municipal elections.
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Archaic. pertaining to the internal affairs of a state or nation rather than to international affairs.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of municipal
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin mūnicipālis, from mūnicip-, stem of mūniceps “citizen of a free town” (from mūni(a) “duties” + -ceps, combining form of capere “to take”; cf. prince) + -ālis -al 1
Explanation
A municipality refers to a village, town, or city that's usually governed by a mayor and council. From this noun, we get the adjective municipal, which you can use to describe something that relates to a town or its government. Your town's city council may have offices in the municipal building downtown. If you want to fight city hall, that would be the place to go. Municipal also more generally describes anything related to the town or city itself. If you live within the city limits, for example, your house may be hooked into the municipal water supply, but if you live outside the city limits you may have to have your own well.
Vocabulary lists containing municipal
Nothing But the Truth
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"Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell
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"Democracy in America, Vol. 1" by Alexis de Tocqueville, Introduction–Chapter 5
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Here is how you can compare the yields of corporate bonds, municipal bonds and Treasury bonds if you want to factor in your particular tax situation when selecting investments for income.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
In the quarter of a century since the attacks, through several city administrations, officials have refused to release the municipal files that show what the city knew and when it knew it.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
On a street in Ivory Coast's economic capital, Abidjan, municipal officers were in pursuit of informal vendors who had set up their stalls on the pavements and, in some cases, the roads.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
Hadley wanted to remind potential jumpers that the act of leaping from the cliffs violates a San Diego municipal code and could result in fines of $100 or more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
NM: Yes, that is what I am talking about, I am talking about Parliament and other government bodies of the country, the provincial councils, the municipal councils.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
