municipality

noun

mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
1
: a primarily urban political unit having corporate (see corporate sense 1a) status and usually powers of self-government
Elections were held in the municipality.
2
: the governing body of a municipality
The municipality approved the budget for the year.

Examples of municipality in a Sentence

laws that have been enacted by many states and municipalities a municipality with an excellent police department
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That includes farmers who have had sludge from water treatment plants spread on their land containing PFAS, fire departments, airports and municipalities, people who own land that was polluted by PFAS originating from another nearby property or waste facilities that accepted PFAS. Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025 In most municipalities, the shelter was run by the police department; Van Horn was too small for a police department, so the public-works department was in charge. Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2025 Several Mecklenburg municipalities outside of Charlotte have contests that could shake up local boards and test political party strength in the suburbs. Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025 Because the harsh truth is that municipalities can only do so much. The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for municipality

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of municipality was in 1790

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Municipality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/municipality. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

municipality

noun
mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌnis-ə-ˈpal-ət-ē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
: a self-governing city or town

Legal Definition

municipality

noun
mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
: a primarily urban municipal corporation
also : the governing body of a municipality

More from Merriam-Webster on municipality

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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