cosmopolitan

UK: /ˌkɒzməˈpɒlɪtən/ US: /ˌkɑzməˈpɑlɪtən/ ,(koz′mə pol′i tn)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

cos•mo•pol•i•tan /ˌkɑzməˈpɑlɪtən/   adj. 

1. of or relating to the whole world, or to a great part of it:
   the cosmopolitan nature of international agreements.
2. • belonging to all the world;
     not limited to one part of the world:
     a cosmopolitan world view.
   • worldly;
     sophisticated:
     the cosmopolitan customer who demands the very best.

n. [countable]

3. a person free from local or national bias:
   a cosmopolitan who had lived in several countries.

cos•mo•pol•i•tan•ism, n. [uncountable] See -cosm-, -polis-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

cos•mo•pol•i•tan  (koz′mə pol′i tn), adj. 

1. free from local, provincial, or national ideas, prejudices, or attachments;
   at home all over the world.
2. of or characteristic of a cosmopolite.
3. belonging to all the world;
   not limited to just one part of the world.
4. Botany, Zoology widely distributed over the globe.

n. 

5. a person who is free from local, provincial, or national bias or attachment;
   citizen of the world;
   cosmopolite.

• cosmopolite + -an 1835–45

cos′mo•pol′i•tan•ism, n. 
cos′mo•pol′i•tan•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. . sophisticated, urbane, worldly.

Antonyms

• 1. . provincial, parochial.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

cosmopolitan / ˌkɒzməˈpɒlɪt^ən/ noun

1. a person who has lived and travelled in many countries, esp one who is free of national prejudices
2. a cocktail containing vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice

adjective

1. having interest in or familiar with many parts of the world
2. sophisticated or urbane
3. composed of people or elements from all parts of the world or from many different spheres

Etymology: 17th Century: from French, ultimately from Greek kosmopolitēs, from kosmo- cosmo- + politēs citizen

ˌcosmoˈpolitanism noun