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

Google is snatching up more office space in the South Florida metropolis, just as its cofounders are buying million-dollar mansions right on the waterfront. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 July 2026

But that’s not the only reason the city and its surrounding neighborhoods, long known as a lively metropolis of late nights and ocean views, have become a developer’s playground. — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 July 2026

That’s when an EF5 tornado tore through the metropolis of some 50,000 people, shredding a path several miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide. — Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 21 July 2026

There is a competitive theory behind picking a quiet Tennessee city over a host metropolis. — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 17 July 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