municipality

noun

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

plural municipalities

1

: a primarily urban political unit (such as a city or town) 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 of municipality

• 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

In early August 2025, a 1,000-year-event rain event caused widespread flooding around Milwaukee, Wauwatosa and other surrounding municipalities. —Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 13 Mar. 2026

More municipalities throughout Miami-Dade County are beginning to publicly recognize Ramadan as a holiday in an effort to show support for their Muslim residents. —Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026

Most municipalities have rules governing signage to maintain a certain aesthetic, but construction sites are often given some flexibility. —Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026

Instead, districts in distressed municipalities would only have to meet a 10% zero-emissions target starting in 2030, which would gradually increase over the next decade. —John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2026

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