metropolitan

/mɛtrəˈpɑlɪtɪn/

/mɛtrəˈpɒlɪtən/

Other forms: metropolitans

The adjective metropolitan describes something that's characteristic of a city. You really enjoy metropolitan life — there's always something happening, and you can walk or take the subway anywhere you want to go.

The word metropolitan comes from metropolis, which in Greek means mother city, made up of mētēr meaning mother, and polis meaning city. A person who lives in a metropolis, or city, is also called a metropolitan. You may have loved cities even when you were growing up in the suburbs, looking forward to the day you could become a true metropolitan in the biggest city you could find.

Definitions of metropolitan

1. adjective

   relating to or characteristic of a metropolis
   “metropolitan area”
2. noun

   a person who lives in a metropolis
   type of:

   occupant, occupier, resident

   someone who lives at a particular place for a prolonged period or who was born there
3. noun

   in the Eastern Orthodox Church this title is given to a position between bishop and patriarch; equivalent to archbishop in western Christianity
   type of:

   archbishop

   a bishop of highest rank