municipality

noun

mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
Synonyms of municipalitynext
1
: a primarily urban political unit (such as a city or town) having corporate (see corporate sense 1a) status and usually powers of self-government
Elections were held in the municipality.
2
: the governing body of a municipality
The municipality approved the budget for the year.

Synonyms of municipality

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Examples of municipality in a Sentence

laws that have been enacted by many states and municipalities a municipality with an excellent police department
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While Amendment 3 would not directly raise taxes on second-home owners, people who recently moved to the state or landlords, municipalities may end up raising local tax rates or fees to make up for the budget shortfall. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026 Pennsylvania law requires operators to notify municipalities at least 30 days before beginning delivery robot operations. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 Ferbert and others pointed to a surge in lawsuits against municipalities over everything from sidewalk trip-and-falls to police misconduct — cases that can lead to seven- or eight-figure payouts. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 If enacted, the bill would make New York City the first municipality to impose these policies. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for municipality

Word History

First Known Use

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of municipality was in 1790

Rhymes for municipality

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Browse Nearby Words

municipal engineering
municipality
municipalization
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Cite this Entry

“Municipality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/municipality. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

municipality

noun
mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌnis-ə-ˈpal-ət-ē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
: a self-governing city or town

Legal Definition

municipality

noun
mu·​nic·​i·​pal·​i·​ty myu̇-ˌni-sə-ˈpa-lə-tē How to pronounce municipality (audio)
plural municipalities
: a primarily urban municipal corporation
also : the governing body of a municipality

More from Merriam-Webster on municipality

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about municipality

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