municipality

noun

mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The city and county of Los Angeles, along with several municipalities in Southern California, are seeking to join a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration over recent immigration raids that prompted several days of protests and the federalization of the National Guard. Kelly McCleary, CNN Money, 9 July 2025 There are several local taxing entities — including school districts, municipalities, the community college, the state and more — that pay for their operations using public property tax dollars. Sofi Zeman july 9, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2025 Other teams have reached out to their municipalities for the first time in decades in an effort to take this moment to improve their facilities and offerings. Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 9 July 2025 His office is hiring an official to work with municipalities and the BLM. Abe Streep, ProPublica, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for municipality

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of municipality was in 1790

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Municipality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/municipality. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

municipality

noun
mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌnis-ə-ˈpal-ət-ē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
: a self-governing city or town

Legal Definition

municipality

noun
mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
: a primarily urban municipal corporation
also : the governing body of a municipality

More from Merriam-Webster on municipality

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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