municipality

noun

mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē 

plural municipalities

1

: a primarily urban political unit having corporate (see corporate sense 1a) status and usually powers of self-government

Elections were held in the municipality.

2

: the governing body of a municipality

The municipality approved the budget for the year.

Synonyms

• city
• town
• metropolis

Examples of municipality in a Sentence

laws that have been enacted by many states and municipalities

a municipality with an excellent police department

Recent Examples on the Web

Some neighborhoods also have a separate time for trick-or-treating from their local municipality's. —Elaine Rewolinski, jsonline.com, 25 Oct. 2025

Governor Kathy Hochul, whose own term has been defined by attempts to override local municipalities that thwart housing development and density, also supports the plan. —Kim Velsey, Curbed, 24 Oct. 2025

In a report published on Wednesday about Melissa, the Office of Civil Protection said that the fall of a tree had led to the death of a septuagenarian in the municipality of Marigot in the Southeast regional department. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025

The Nordic island has just confirmed the discovery of mosquitoes in the municipality of Kjós. —Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for municipality

• bisexuality
• collegiality
• conditionality
• congeniality
• conventionality
• conviviality
• dimensionality
• directionality
• emotionality
• essentiality
• eventuality
• grammaticality

Kids Definition

municipality

noun

mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌnis-ə-ˈpal-ət-ē 

plural municipalities

: a self-governing city or town

Legal Definition

municipality

noun

mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē 

plural municipalities

: a primarily urban municipal corporation

also : the governing body of a municipality