Standard Lemma guide

megalopolis

name · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /mɛ.ɡəˈlɒ.pə.lɪs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M EH2 G AH0 L AA1 P AH0 L AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

Dated form of Megalopoli.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, dated

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A large conurbation, where two or more large cities have sprawled outward to meet, forming something larger than a normal metropolis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The Eastern Seaboard megalopolis extends from New Hampshire to Alexandria, VA.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: megacity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: metropolis, city, settlement

3

noun

Meaning 3

a very large urban complex (usually involving several cities and towns)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: urban area, populated area

History

Etymology

From megalo- (“great”) + -polis (“city”).

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: مَديِنَةٌ ضَخْمَةٌ — large conurbation
  • Armenian: մեգապոլիս (megapolis) — large conurbation
  • Armenian: գերքաղաք (gerkʻaġakʻ) — large conurbation
  • Breton: megalopolenn — large conurbation
  • Catalan: megalòpolis — large conurbation
  • Catalan: megalòpoli — large conurbation
  • Chinese Mandarin: 特大城市 (tèdà chéngshì) — large conurbation
  • Czech: megalopole — large conurbation
  • Finnish: megalopoli — large conurbation
  • French: mégalopole — large conurbation
  • Galician: megalópole — large conurbation
  • German: Megalopolis — large conurbation
  • Greek: μεγαλούπολη (megaloúpoli) — large conurbation
  • Hindi: महानगर (mahāngar) — large conurbation
  • Hungarian: megapolisz — large conurbation
  • Icelandic: risaborg — large conurbation
  • Irish: ollchathair — large conurbation
  • Italian: megalopoli — large conurbation
  • Japanese: メガロポリス (megaroporisu) — large conurbation
  • Kazakh: мегақала (megaqala) — large conurbation
  • Kazakh: ірі қала (ırı qala) — large conurbation
  • Korean: 메갈로폴리스 (megallopolliseu) — large conurbation
  • Marathi: विशालनगर (viśālangar) — large conurbation
  • Polish: megalopolis — large conurbation
  • Portuguese: megalópole — large conurbation
  • Russian: мегапо́лис (megapólis) — large conurbation
  • Spanish: megalópolis — large conurbation
  • Swedish: megalopolis — large conurbation
  • Turkish: kümekent — large conurbation
  • Turkish: megapol — large conurbation
  • Welsh: goruwchddinas — large conurbation