as in city
a thickly settled, highly populated area
a sprawling cosmopolis where ambitious people from all over come to make their fortune
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Recent Examples of cosmopolis
While Istanbul and Cappadocia are more popular with tourists to Turkey, don't miss the chance to explore Izmir, which was once the country's most thriving cosmopolis.
—
Lilit Marcus, CNN, 8 Oct. 2022
Istanbul is a cosmopolis unlike any other—where the remains of former empires, the cultural influences of multi-ethnic communities, and contemporary Turkish identity all exist in delicate harmony.
—Feride Yalav-Heckeroth, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2022
On the Volga a quasi-capital rose at Sarai, established by Batu around 1250, and grew into a cosmopolis of artisans, farmers, and merchants from as far away as Syria, Egypt, even Greece—so many that a New Sarai was founded upriver.
—Colin Thubron, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2021
For decades a symbol of all that was dead and dysfunctional in the ever-expanding cosmopolis, the river is undergoing its own rehabilitation, shedding some of its visible concrete.
—Alexandra Marshall, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2018
Lilit Marcus, CNN, 8 Oct. 2022
Istanbul is a cosmopolis unlike any other—where the remains of former empires, the cultural influences of multi-ethnic communities, and contemporary Turkish identity all exist in delicate harmony.
—Feride Yalav-Heckeroth, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2022
On the Volga a quasi-capital rose at Sarai, established by Batu around 1250, and grew into a cosmopolis of artisans, farmers, and merchants from as far away as Syria, Egypt, even Greece—so many that a New Sarai was founded upriver.
—Colin Thubron, The New York Review of Books, 6 July 2021
For decades a symbol of all that was dead and dysfunctional in the ever-expanding cosmopolis, the river is undergoing its own rehabilitation, shedding some of its visible concrete.
—Alexandra Marshall, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cosmopolis
Noun
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Robert Harrington will be the next mayor of the nation’s 14th largest city.—
Mary Ramsey
Updated June 22,
Charlotte Observer,
23 June 2026
-
In 2026, Goldman appears to be trailing in polls to Lander, a former city comptroller and councilman from Brooklyn.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
23 June 2026
Noun
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The narrative conjures meaning from the Los Angeles cityscape by fusing a hodgepodge of textbook theories about the sprawling metropolis onto the gritty reality of daily life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
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The novels are a time-lapse panorama of a metropolis perpetually reshaped by its inhabitants.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Noun
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That’s exactly the feeling that Hayley Kiyoko’s feature debut film, Girls Like Girls, conveys with this coming-of-age story of Coley (Maya da Costa), a 17-year-old girl who moves to a small town with her estranged father (Zach Braff) after the death of her mother.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
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Power is transmitted through a six-speed gearbox, with ratios that CFMoto says are equally suited to town and trail riding.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 20,
New Atlas,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cosmopolis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cosmopolis. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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