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

But with thousands of communities, ranging from small towns to bustling metropolises, choosing your next home in the Lone Star State can be overwhelming. —Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 14 June 2026

But the reality of finding quality work in one of America’s top 30 metropolises is more complicated, and statistics only tell one side of the story. —Keonna Yearwood-Branch, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2026

Considered one of the oldest metropolises of the world, Tyre has several archaeological sites, some of them submerged. —ABC News, 9 June 2026

The Southern California metropolis lays claim to some of the world’s best year-round farmers markets, and its enclaves of immigrant cuisines—Koreatown, Thai Town, and the San Gabriel Valley for Chinese—are unmatched. —The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 June 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