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

• 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

His own work seethed with the gritty vernacular of the street, evoking the Sturm und Drang of the Midwestern metropolis. —News Desk, Artforum, 23 Oct. 2025

Millennia from now, will urban legends describe the horrific disaster that destroyed the string of American metropolises along the Pacific coast, from Chief Seattle’s Town to the City of Angels? —Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025

This Brazilian metropolis, with over one million inhabitants and located in the Amazon region, will host international leaders this November for the UN Climate Summit. —Tarciana Medeiros, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025

The brand’s latest, which debuted at this year’s China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition, sports a chunky, cyberpunk-indebted design and bold lighting package that wouldn’t look out of place zipping around a futuristic metropolis. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 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