metropolis definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

me·trop·o·lis [ mə tróppəliss ] (plural me·trop·o·lis·es)

noun

Definition:

1. large city: a very large city, often the capital or chief urban center of a country, state, or region

2. center of activity: the center or principal place for a particular activity

3. main diocese: in some Christian denominations, the principal diocese or see in an ecclesiastical province

[Mid-16th century. Via late Latin< Greek mētropolis "mother city" < mētēr "mother" + polis "city"]

Word History


	Metropolis goes back to a Greek word meaning literally "mother city." It entered English via Latin in the mid-16th century.