municipality
Americannoun
-
a city, town, or other district possessing corporate existence and usually its own local government.
-
a community under municipal jurisdiction.
-
the governing body of such a district or community.
noun
-
a city, town, or district enjoying some degree of local self-government
-
the governing body of such a unit
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of municipality
From the French word municipalité, dating back to 1780–90. See municipal, -ity
Explanation
If you live in a town or city that has a mayor or other officials who govern it, you live in a municipality. The word municipality comes from the Latin municipium, meaning "free city." A municipality has its own government, but sometimes municipalities join together to share services. For instance, two neighboring municipalities might decide to share a single recycling center in order to cut costs.
Vocabulary lists containing municipality
Just Mercy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Inherit the Wind
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Clockwork Orange
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
"As a municipality, we do not have the legal authority to arbitrarily prohibit the establishment of new businesses, since in Chile there is freedom to engage in economic activities," councilor Nelda Gil told AFP.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
On display from Statia, now a special municipality of the Netherlands, is a massive late-17th- or 18th-century cannon, which could conceivably have fired the historic salute.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Between 2017 and 2021, Torrance dealers sold the third-most crime guns later recovered in Los Angeles of any municipality in the nation, The Times reported.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
The municipality triggered outrage on January 6 when it revealed that no annual safety check had been carried out at the bar since 2019.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
Holmes acquired a ticket to a village called Englewood in the town of Lake, a municipality of 200,000 people that abutted Chicago’s southernmost boundary.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
