metropolitan

The word “metropolitan” means relating to a large city or its surrounding urban area. In plain terms, to do with a big city and its surrounding area.

“Metropolitan” is pronounced meht-ruh-PO-lih-tuhn (/ˌmɛtɹəˈpɑlɪtən/ in IPA).

Here is “metropolitan” used in a sentence: “The metropolitan police cover the whole greater city area.”

The opposite of “metropolitan” — its antonyms — is non-metropolitan.

Depending on how it is used, “metropolitan” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “metropolitan” comes from Late Latin. From Late Latin metropolitanus, from Greek mētropolitēs, ultimately from metropolis.

“Metropolitan” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Metropolitan” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to a large city or its surrounding urban area.

"Metropolitan" relates to a large city together with its surrounding suburbs and towns, forming a wider region, while "urban" simply means relating to a city or town as opposed to the countryside. A metropolitan area can include both urban and suburban parts.

"Metropolitan" describes something relating to a large city or its region, while "cosmopolitan" describes something or someone worldly, international, and made up of people from many cultures. A metropolitan area is defined by size; a cosmopolitan one by diversity.

In some Christian churches, a "metropolitan" is a senior bishop who oversees other bishops within a wider region or province. This use is a noun and is separate from the everyday adjective meaning "relating to a big city."

The adjective often pairs with "area," "police," "district," and "region," as in "metropolitan area" and "Metropolitan Police." These describe a large city and the territory around it.