metropolitan

Word family

• metropolis
  nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words relate to cities, but they differ in scale and focus. 'Metropolitan' (B2) specifically refers to very large cities and their surrounding regions — it suggests the scale of a major economic and cultural hub such as London, Tokyo, or São Paulo. 'Urban' (B1) is a broader, more neutral term covering any town or city, regardless of size. 'Civic' (B2) focuses on the official institutions and responsibilities of a city's government or its citizens, such as civic duty or civic center. For example, one would speak of 'urban planning' for any city, 'metropolitan area' for a sprawling mega-city region, and 'civic pride' for residents' sense of belonging to their local community.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word 'metropolitan' traces back through Latin 'metropolitanus' to the Greek 'metropolis', meaning 'mother city'. In Greek, 'mētēr' = mother and 'polis' = city. Originally it referred to a city that was the parent of other cities (colonies sent out by the mother city). From the 15th century, English adopted it for the bishop who presides over the mother church of a province, and by the 19th century the modern sense of 'relating to a large city' had become dominant.