metropolis

noun

me·​trop·​o·​lis mə-ˈträ-p(ə-)ləs 

1

: the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region

2

: the city or state of origin of a colony (as of ancient Greece)

3

a

: a city regarded as a center of a specified activity

an industrial metropolis

a cattle metropolis

b

: a large important city

one of Europe's great metropolises

Synonyms of metropolis

• city
• town

Examples of metropolis in a Sentence

a big, teeming metropolis where ambitious people from all over come to make their mark

Recent Examples on the Web

The water level of a major reservoir supplying the bustling capital city of Jakarta -- the world's biggest metropolis -- is dropping inch by inch. — Edna Tarigan, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026

The captain drops the anchor near a reef where fan-like corals in shades of purple and gold overlap, creating what looks like an underwater metropolis. — Claire Turrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

The movie includes a montage of historical clips that tell a story of the city, beginning with a groundbreaking ceremony in the nineteen-twenties and going on to evoke the metropolis of the seventies. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2026

Lee has been under pressure to distinguish Hong Kong from regional rivals and mainland Chinese metropolises, especially after Beijing’s tightening grip tainted Hong Kong’s image as a freewheeling financial center. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin, from Greek mētropolis, from mētr-, mētēr mother + polis city — more at mother, police entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for metropolis

• acropolis
• monopolise
• necropolis
• megalopolis
• propolis

Kids Definition

metropolis

noun

me·​trop·​o·​lis mə-ˈträp-(ə-)ləs 

1

: the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region

2

: a large important city