polis

¹

[poh-lis]

noun

plural

poleis 

1. an ancient Greek city-state.

-polis

²

1. a combining form, meaning “city,” appearing in loanwords from Greek (metropolis ), and used in the formation of placenames (Annapolis ).

polis

¹

/ ˈpɒlɪs /

noun

1. an ancient Greek city-state

polis

²

/ ˈpolɪs /

noun

1. the police or a police officer

Word History and Origins

Origin of polis¹

1890–95; < Greek pólis, plural (Ionic) póleis

Origin of polis²

Combining form representing Greek pólis polis

Word History and Origins

Origin of polis¹

from Greek: city

Origin of polis²

C19: a variant pronunciation of police

Related Words

• capital 
• center 
• downtown 
• metropolis 
• municipality 
• place 
• port 

When To Use

What does -polis mean?

The combining form -polis is used like a suffix meaning “city.” It is occasionally used in technical terms.The form -polis comes from Greek pólis, meaning “city.”