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

Crumbled sidewalks were replaced by planks that covered the sludge that concealed the ancient wood fretwork that buried the bones of the metropolis and its people. —Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026

The Ancient City of Athribis Athribis sits about 10 kilometers west of the Nile River, opposite the ancient metropolis of Akhmim, in what is now Nagaa El-Sheikh Hamad — roughly 7 km west of the modern city of Sohag. —Ryan Brennan april 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026

Athribis is an ancient Egyptian city located about 10 kilometers west of the Nile River, opposite the ancient metropolis of Akhmim. —Ryan Brennan april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026

An Ancient City’s Story Revealed Athribis is an ancient Egyptian city located 10 kilometers west of the Nile River, opposite the ancient metropolis of Akhmim. —Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 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