A metropolisa very large and important city, often with many people and activities is a large city, especially one that is busy, heavily populatedhaving many people living in a place, and important in a region or country. It can also refer to the people living in that city or the wider urbanrelating to towns and cities rather than the countryside area itself.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /mə-TRAH-puh-lis/
Easy pronunciation: muh-TRAH-puh-liss (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress is on the second syllable.
Used here in the sense of a large, densely populated urban area; a very large city.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Metropolis Meaning
a very large city
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a large and densely populated urban area
Example: New York is a major global metropolis.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- city — A direct and natural substitute in this sense.
- urban center — Works, but is a little more formal and less common in everyday speech.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Metropolis
Meaning 2
the people who live in a large city
Part of speech: noun
Definition: people living in a large densely populated municipality
Example: The metropolis welcomed thousands of new residents last year.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- city — Can refer loosely to the city’s population in context, but it is not the clearest substitute for the city itself.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Metropolis Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- city
- urban center
the people living in a large city
- city
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse metropolis with metropolitan, which is an adjective related to a city or urban area.
- Metropolis usually refers to a large city itself, not just any town.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does metropolis mean?
Metropolis means a very large and important city, especially one with a large population and extensive urban development.
What are the synonyms of metropolis?
Common synonyms include city and urban center, depending on the sense and context.
Is metropolis the same as metropolitan?
No. Metropolis is a noun for a large city, while metropolitan is usually an adjective meaning related to a city or large urban area.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.