metropolis

noun

me·trop·o·lis | \ mə-ˈträ-p(ə-)ləs

Definition of metropolis

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)

3a : 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 More Example Sentences Learn More about metropolis

Keep scrolling for more

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

The most populated metropolis on Earth earns a score of 92.0 out of a possible 100. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "World’s safest city to visit in 2019 revealed by Economist Intelligence Unit," 29 Aug. 2019 Now, a similar phenomenon is taking place across the pond—only this time, the insects in question are grasshoppers, and their target is the bustling metropolis of Las Vegas. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Swarms of Grasshoppers Invading Las Vegas Are Visible on Radar," 27 July 2019 Today, some 14 miles of thick jungle separate El Zotz from Tikal’s metropolis. — Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, "The Lost World of the Maya is Finally Emerging From the Jungle," 7 Feb. 2019 The largest city in Brazil was plunged into darkness in the middle of the day on Monday after billowing smoke from ongoing wildfires in the Amazon region combined with a weather pattern, creating an ominous, dark blanket over the metropolis. — Fox News, "Smoke from Amazon wildfires plunges Sao Paulo into darkness in middle of day," 22 Aug. 2019 The risk is that one of America’s great metropolises enters a death spiral, as Detroit had by the 1990s. — The Economist, "How to fix Baltimore," 1 Aug. 2019 In addition to being a metropolis of nearly 2 million people where Ebola may spread quickly and be difficult to trace, Goma has an international airport. — Meredith Wadman, Science | AAAS, "World Health Organization declares Ebola outbreak an international emergency," 17 July 2019 Day 1: Mosaics and metro stations 9 a.m. Navigate the labyrinth of the Moscow metro, a living, breathing work of art crisscrossing the metropolis. — Aanchal Anand, National Geographic, "Russian secrets? Here’s the ultimate Moscow itinerary," 16 July 2019 That wild, freewheeling town had to make way for the modern metropolis. — Rich Cohen, WSJ, "The Hidden History of Liberty Island," 11 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'metropolis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.