metropolitan

UK: /ˌmɛtrəˈpɒlɪt^ən/ US: /ˌmɛtrəˈpɑlɪtən/ ,(me′trə pol′i tn)

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

met•ro•pol•i•tan /ˌmɛtrəˈpɑlɪtən/   adj. 

1. of or relating to a metropolis:
   Storms are expected in the metropolitan area tonight.
2. of or like a metropolis in being sophisticated:
   a metropolitan outlook.
See -polis-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

met•ro•pol•i•tan  (me′trə pol′i tn), adj. 

1. of, noting, or characteristic of a metropolis or its inhabitants, esp. in culture, sophistication, or in accepting and combining a wide variety of people, ideas, etc.
2. of or pertaining to a large city, its surrounding suburbs, and other neighboring communities:
   the New York metropolitan area.
3. pertaining to or constituting a mother country.
4. Religion pertaining to an ecclesiastical metropolis.

n. 

5. an inhabitant of a metropolis.
6. a person who has the sophistication, fashionable taste, or other habits and manners associated with those who live in a metropolis.
7. Religion [Eastern Ch.] the head of an ecclesiastical province.
8. Religion an archbishop in the Church of England.
9. Religion [Rom. Cath. Ch.] an archbishop who has authority over one or more suffragan sees.
10. Ancient History (in ancient Greece) a citizen of the mother city or parent state of a colony.

• Greek mētropolí̄t(ēs) (see metropolis, -ite¹) + Latin -ānus -an
• Late Latin mētropolītānus of, belonging to a metropolis
• Middle English 1300–50

met′ro•pol′i•tan•ism, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

metropolitan / ˌmɛtrəˈpɒlɪtən/ adjective

1. of or characteristic of a metropolis
2. constituting a city and its suburbs
3. Also: metropolitical of, relating to, or designating an ecclesiastical metropolis
4. of or belonging to the home territories of a country, as opposed to overseas territories: metropolitan France

noun

1. the head of an ecclesiastical province, ranking between archbishop and patriarch
2. an archbishop
3. an archbishop or bishop having authority in certain matters over the dioceses in his province

ˌmetroˈpolitanism noun

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

met•ro¹ /ˈmɛtroʊ/   n., pl. -ros. [often: Metro]

1. Transport the underground railway of certain cities, as Washington, D.C., and Paris, France:
   [countable] Compare the metros in both cities.
   [uncountable] You can get there by metro.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

met•ro¹  (me′trō), n., pl. -ros. (often cap.)

1. Transport the underground electric railway of Paris, France, Montreal, Canada, Washington, D.C., and other cities.
2. Transport subway (def. 1).

• French métro, short for chemin de fer métropolitain metropolitan railroad
• 1900–05

met•ro²  (me′trō), adj., n., pl. -ros. [Informal.]
adj. 

1. Informal Terms metropolitan (defs. 1, 2).

n. 

2. Informal Terms metropolis (defs. 1, 2).
3. Informal Terms, British Terms (often cap.) [Chiefly Canadian.] the government or jurisdiction of a large city.

• 1900–05; by shortening; or independent use of metro-³

metro-¹ ,

1. a combining form meaning "measure,'' used in the formation of compound words:
   metronome.

• combining form representing Greek métron measure

metro-² ,

1. a combining form meaning "uterus,'' used in the formation of compound words:
   metrorrhagia.

Also,[esp. before a vowel,] metr-. 

• combining form representing Greek mé̄tra womb

metro-³ :

1. a combining form representing metropolis or metropolitan in compound words:
   metroflight;
   metroland;
   Metroliner.