metropolis

noun

me·​trop·​o·​lis mə-ˈträ-p(ə-)ləs 

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

Synonyms of metropolis

• city
• town

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

As one of the world’s great metropolises, Tokyo takes its exalted status very seriously. —Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026

From Atlantic beaches to Western mountains to central metropolises, there’s a destination suited to every type of traveler. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026

The book portrays the city as a liminal metropolis where the line demarcating business and crime has been worn faint by heavy footfall from both directions. —Mark O’Connell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026

The Italian city, already a thriving metropolis of business and fashion becomes charged with a frenetic energy created by hundreds of exhibitions and happenings. —Francesca Perry, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for metropolis

• acropolis
• monopolise
• necropolis
• megalopolis
• propolis

Kids Definition

metropolis

noun

me·​trop·​o·​lis mə-ˈträp-(ə-)ləs 

1

: the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region

2

: a large important city