1 : the chief or capital city of a country, state, or region. 2 : the city or state of origin of a colony (as of ancient Greece) 3a : a city regarded as a center of a specified activity an industrial metropolis a cattle metropolis. b : a large important city one of Europe's great metropolises.

What is the original meaning of the term metropolis?

Metropolis (μητρόπολις) is a Greek word, coming from μήτηρ, mḗtēr meaning "mother" and πόλις, pólis meaning "city" or "town", which is how the Greek colonies of antiquity referred to their original cities, with whom they retained cultic and political-cultural connections.

What is a example for metropolis?

The definition of a metropolis is a large or main city. An example of a metropolis is Manhattan, New York. ... The main city, often the capital, of a country, state, or region.