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

Excavations near the village of Kalluder e Vogel in the northern municipality of Zubin Potok, started in late July after the discovery of human remains there. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

The quake’s epicenter was reported in the municipality of San José del Palmar. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 11 Aug. 2026

In Pereira, the municipality which has recorded the highest number of fatalities, social media footage showed the moment a building collapsed and engulfed onlookers with dust and debris in the city’s Bolivar Plaza. — Michael Rios, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

The extent of the damage remained unclear Monday morning as emergency officials gathered information from municipalities across western and central Colombia. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 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