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

Hyde has McCallany playing Detective Grimes, a haunted investigator descending into the decaying underbelly of a crumbling metropolis while hunting a brutal serial killer. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 1 June 2026

Transportation will also be a security challenge in the metropolis of nearly 22 million people, according to Teresa Martínez, a professor and researcher at the School of Social Sciences and Government of Tecnológico de Monterrey. —Michael Rios, CNN Money, 31 May 2026

With much of the campaigning taking place in Addis Ababa, there has been a heavy military presence in the metropolis in recent days. —ABC News, 31 May 2026

With 37 million people, Tokyo is the most populated metropolis on the planet, and somehow, walking its streets never feels crowded. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 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