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

• asphalt jungle
• burg
• city
• cosmopolis
• megacity
• megalopolis
• municipality
• 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

Move over, Vienna: There’s a new top metropolis in town. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 18 June 2025

Rioters across Los Angeles set Waymo cabs ablaze in a spasm of violence over federal immigration enforcement in the West Coast metropolis. —Nr Editors, National Review, 13 June 2025

The country’s first major film studios emerged in this sprawling metropolis in the 1920s, and its cinematic passion remains palpable. —Mathew Scott, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025

Anticipated to generate new job opportunities, attract foreign investments, and elevate living standards, this visionary project aims to elevate Riyadh's global standing as a modern metropolis. —Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025

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