metropolitan

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noun met·ro·pol·i·tan \ ˌme-trə-ˈpä-lə-tən \

Definition of metropolitan

1 :the primate of an ecclesiastical province

2 :one who lives in a metropolis or displays metropolitan manners or customs

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Examples of metropolitan in a Sentence

a TV series about the lives and loves of a group of young, attractive metropolitans

Recent Examples of metropolitan from the Web

Iakovos served the in the Greek Orthodox Church for nearly 50 years and was the first metropolitan of Chicago.

— meredith colias, Post-Tribune, "Head of Chicago Greek Archdiocese remembered for common touch," 7 June 2017

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

First Known Use of metropolitan

14th century

metropolitan Synonyms

Synonyms

city slicker, cosmopolite, cosmopolitan, slicker, sophisticate

Antonyms

bumpkin, hick, provincial, rustic, yokel

Related Words

urbanite; worldling

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

metropolitan

adjective

Definition of metropolitan

1 :of or constituting a metropolitan or his see

2 :of, relating to, or characteristic of a metropolis and sometimes including its suburbs

3 :of, relating to, or constituting a mother country as distinguished from a colony

See metropolitan defined for English-language learners

Examples of metropolitan in a Sentence

the greater New York metropolitan area
This is one of the best seafood restaurants in metropolitan Los Angeles.

Recent Examples of metropolitan from the Web

Hurricane Harvey could cause $70 billion to $90 billion in economic losses from wind, storm surge and flood damage, most of it in the Houston metropolitan area, according to risk-modeling company RMS.

— katherine chiglinsky, Bloomberg.com, "Harvey Damages Could Cost Up to $90 Billion," 30 Aug. 2017
Officials acknowledge that fatalities from Harvey could soar once the floodwaters start to recede from one of America's most sprawling metropolitan centers.

— wesley lowery and avi selk, chicagotribune.com, "'He laid down his life': Houston police officer among Harvey's victims," 29 Aug. 2017
Even as Mr. Trump visited Corpus Christi, attention was focused on the growing catastrophe gripping suburban Houston, a sprawling, low-lying metropolitan area with a population of 6.3 million 220 miles to the northeast.

— glenn thrush, New York Times, "Trump, in Texas, Calls Harvey Recovery Response Effort a ‘Real Team’," 29 Aug. 2017
Officials acknowledge that fatalities from Harvey could soar once the floodwaters start to recede from one of America's most sprawling metropolitan centers.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "In aftermath of Harvey, experts say, 'Give, but give wisely'," 29 Aug. 2017
Isolated storm totals may reach 50 inches over the upper Texas coast, including the Houston/ Galveston metropolitan area, where about 2 feet of rain has already fallen.

— joseph a. gambardello, Philly.com, "Harvey: The latest at a glance," 28 Aug. 2017
To test that idea, urban ecologist Heikki Setälä from the University of Helsinki and his team measured air quality in and around 10 greenbelts in the Helsinki metropolitan area in the summer and winter of 2016, focusing on NO2.

— barbra rodriguez, Science | AAAS, "Roadside trees trap asthma-inducing pollutants," 23 Aug. 2017
Six of The American’s 12 members are located within driving distance of Fort Worth, while the other six members have direct flight options to the metropolitan area.

— dave clark, Cincinnati.com, "Fort Worth to host AAC basketball tournaments 2020-2022," 16 Aug. 2017
Being the mayor of a major metropolitan city with 8 million people, a crumbling subway system, and the Times Square Olive Garden sounds exhausting.

— madeleine aggeler, The Cut, "Bill de Blasio Reportedly Loves a Good Nap at the Office," 7 Aug. 2017

Origin and Etymology of metropolitan

Middle English, from Late Latin metropolitanus of the see of a metropolitan, from metropolita, noun, metropolitan, from Late Greek mētropolitēs, from mētropolis see of a metropolitan, from Greek, capital

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First Known Use: 15th century

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