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
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
Earlier this week, a giant cloud of wildfire smoke from Canada wafted into New York City, Boston, and other eastern metropolises, engulfing skylines and putting millions of people at risk from air pollution.
—
Vox Staff, Vox, 22 Jan. 2025
As the mayor of America’s largest metropolis, Mr. Adams has a natural interest in developing a working relationship with the man poised to govern the nation.
—Dana Rubinstein, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
But that blissful image has been ruptured in recent days as parts of Los Angeles were engulfed in flames, reducing homes and businesses across the sprawling metropolis to smoldering heaps of ash and rubble, most calamitously in the Pacific Palisades and the community of Altadena.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025
County officials apologized Friday after residents across the Los Angeles area continued to receive erroneous emergency alerts that urged them to prepare to evacuate, even though many were not close to any of the fires sweeping across the foothills of the sprawling metropolis.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for metropolis 
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.
Vox Staff, Vox, 22 Jan. 2025
As the mayor of America’s largest metropolis, Mr. Adams has a natural interest in developing a working relationship with the man poised to govern the nation.
—Dana Rubinstein, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
But that blissful image has been ruptured in recent days as parts of Los Angeles were engulfed in flames, reducing homes and businesses across the sprawling metropolis to smoldering heaps of ash and rubble, most calamitously in the Pacific Palisades and the community of Altadena.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 15 Jan. 2025
County officials apologized Friday after residents across the Los Angeles area continued to receive erroneous emergency alerts that urged them to prepare to evacuate, even though many were not close to any of the fires sweeping across the foothills of the sprawling metropolis.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for metropolis
Articles Related to metropolis
Dictionary Entries Near metropolis
Cite this Entry
“Metropolis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metropolis. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share