municipality
Americannoun
plural
municipalities-
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
- intermunicipality noun
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
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Inherit the Wind
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A Clockwork Orange
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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.
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
Nine out of 10 residents say their city is unsafe, according to census data, more than in any other municipality in Mexico.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026
"Water mafias are people that get tenders to do work for the municipality," explains Dr Ferrial Adam, who is the executive director of Watercan, a non-profit that works to safeguard South Africa's water resources.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
"The atmosphere here is very tense," said Haim Ohana, 49, who manages public shelters for the municipality.
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
Trina Garnett was the youngest of twelve children living in the poorest section of Chester, Pennsylvania, a financially distressed municipality outside of Philadelphia.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
