metropolis

noun

me·​trop·​o·​lis mə-ˈträ-p(ə-)ləs How to pronounce metropolis (audio)
1
: the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region
2
: the city or state of origin of a colony (as of ancient Greece)
3
a
: a city regarded as a center of a specified activity
an industrial metropolis
a cattle metropolis
b
: a large important city
one of Europe's great metropolises

Examples of metropolis in a Sentence

a big, teeming metropolis where ambitious people from all over come to make their mark
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 Chicago River has had a choppy history amid the city’s rise into a metropolis. Michael Loria, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025 Making matters worse, there's a zombie apocalypse happening that sends the entire metropolis into lockdown mode, leaving everyone at the venue to hunker down inside or face the onslaught of flesh-eating monsters. Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2025 But Gorman also cautioned that even if the bold ideas put forth by Musk and Bezos are realized fully, with bustling metropolises constructed among the stars, humanity will eventually need to look back toward home. Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Sep. 2025 Forget the opening of the Ohio and Erie Canal, which allowed the budding metropolis to become an industrial center. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for metropolis

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin, from Greek mētropolis, from mētr-, mētēr mother + polis city — more at mother, police entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of metropolis was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Metropolis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metropolis. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

metropolis

noun
me·​trop·​o·​lis mə-ˈträp-(ə-)ləs How to pronounce metropolis (audio)
1
: the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region
2
: a large important city

More from Merriam-Webster on metropolis

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