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.
In the municipality of Villa Guerrero in Mexico flower growers and their families grapple with the impact of the toxic chemicals used to cultivate the flowers. Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025 Last week, a federal judge in California barred the Trump administration from denying or conditioning the use of federal funds to San Francisco and more than a dozen other municipalities that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025 As originally written, the bill would have prohibited a municipality that owns a water or sewer utility located in another municipality from charging consumers in another municipality a water surcharge fee. Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 2025 The lawsuit also cites the municipality of Henry County, saying law enforcement should be trained to know the risks of positional asphyxia, which family says led to Russell’s death. Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Municipality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/municipality. Accessed 2 May. 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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