COSMOPOLITANISM Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

cosmopolitanism

noun

Definition of cosmopolitanism

as in urbanity

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Recent Examples of cosmopolitanism Colorful glass lamps from Turkey These were purchased at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul—a city Field has visited numerous times and enjoys for its cosmopolitanism—while scouting for Sex and the City II. — Erin Florio, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026 America’s relative openness to immigrants looked like decadence; cosmopolitanism and internationalism were objects of contempt. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Public shows of cosmopolitanism can only go so far, as Livraria Lello itself demonstrates. — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026 For Iranians – particularly those in the diaspora – Googoosh symbolizes an era of cosmopolitanism in late-Pahlavi Iran, the period from the mid-1950s until 1979 when Iran’s popular music, cinema, television and fashion embraced modernity and questioned social norms. — Richard Nedjat-Haiem, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026 Buddhist culture and ideas, which spread across Asia through the trade routes and communication networks of an early urban cosmopolitanism, have long had a deep affinity with technoculture. — Big Think, 18 Nov. 2025 Studying Latin taught me that contemporary anxieties about manliness and cosmopolitanism date back thousands of years. — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025 The main obstacle will likely be the politics of immigration, where the tension between cosmopolitanism and national solidarity surfaces most clearly. — Jeff D. Colgan, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cosmopolitanism

Noun

The magazine’s urbanity lay in the anti-urbanism of its singular voices.

— Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
His music is, in the best sense, grown-up, proof that a gifted songwriter can tackle the headiest, heaviest topics, compressing a novel’s worth of ideas, intelligence, irony, urbanity, humor and ambivalence into four minutes.

— New York Times, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026

Definition of urbanity

Noun

Howard Yu, a professor at IMD Business School, credits prominence of Europe’s finance sector to the global reach of its biggest banks and their technical sophistication.

— Sam Birchall, Fortune, 16 Sep. 2026
The jury also found aggravating factors that involved planning, professionalism or sophistication and found that Chapman-Joseph was armed with a weapon.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of sophistication

Noun

These critiques were amplified by Black content creators and the general social media audience, who took issue with the genre’s Eurocentric portrayal of knowledge and intellectualism.

— Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026
Fans of trivia like to say that caring so deeply about these facts at a time of disinformation and anti-intellectualism is an act of defiance—that picking up trivia is a way to keep knowledge from being disappeared.

— Drew Goins, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026

Definition of intellectualism

Noun

Sally Hayden’s reportage is always deeply humane, rigorous and challenging, and this new book promises to be an education.

— Doireann Ní Ghríofa, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Its onboard offerings, wide array of itineraries and shore excursions—particularly those that are food and wine-driven—easily combine education, adventure, and good fun.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of education

Noun

That kind of cynicism is cheap and facile and masquerades as intelligence and erudition.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Longworth’s deep research, erudition, and spectacularly precise elocution have made the now-indie podcast essential storytelling for cinephiles.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 23 July 2026

Definition of erudition

Noun

Intel launched its apprenticeship program in Arizona in 2024 and committed $50 million in scholarships at more than 80 Ohio institutions near its fab under construction there.

— Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026
Yes, a professor is expected to teach undergraduates and produce research, because a university’s mission entails education and scholarship.

— Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of scholarship

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“Cosmopolitanism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cosmopolitanism. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of cosmopolitanism

noun

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