metropolitan

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   relating to a large city or to the densely populated area surrounding it

   The metropolitan rail network carries millions of passengers each week.

2. 2
   noun

   a senior bishop who has authority over the bishops of an ecclesiastical province

   The metropolitan convened the province's bishops for a formal council.

From Late Latin metropolitanus, from Greek metropolites ("citizen of a mother city"), based on metropolis, from meter ("mother") + polis ("city"). The ecclesiastical title arose for a bishop based in the chief city of a province.

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