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

Miami’s airport grew along with the surrounding metropolis. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025

Last year, it was slated to take place in Los Angeles, but relocated to Paris and New York due to devastating wildfires that affected the West Coast metropolis. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 16 Dec. 2025

While working on this home in the Indian metropolis, the interior architect certainly faced her fair share of close calls—converting what used to be a 60-year-old office into a living space is no simple task. —Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2025

No one can get in or out, though Dylan isn't the only one left inside the metropolis. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 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