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

Copenhagen topped the Economist Intelligence Unit’s ranking of the world’s most livable cities for the second year in a row, though Chinese metropolises made the largest gains. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 8 July 2026

There’s always the temptation of an easy score, though, a con game suited to the great metropolis, captured here in Colson Whitehead’s signature deadpan. — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026

Mohammad Khatami opens the first subway in Tehran, the capital city, a metropolis of 11 million people. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026

About 80 miles from Los Angeles, Lake Arrowhead is yet another easy mountain getaway for residents of SoCal’s largest metropolis. — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 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