ENGLISH
REFERENCE

municipal

adj.
C1 Advanced Oxford US //mjuˈnɪsəpəɫ// UK //mjuːnˈɪsɪpəl// mu·nic·i·pal

adj. relating to a city or town and its local government. You use this to describe services or buildings that belong to the local community rather than the whole country.

adj. relating to a city, town, or its local governing body. Frequently used in administrative and financial contexts to distinguish local affairs from state or federal ones.


SIMPLE

The municipal library is open to all residents.

CONTEXTUAL

The city council approved a new municipal tax to fund the renovation of public parks and community centers.

COMPLEX

Urban planners must balance municipal growth with environmental preservation to ensure that the city remains habitable for future generations of residents.

Origin

Borrowed from French municipal, from Latin mūnicipālis (“of or belonging to a citizen or a free town”), from mūniceps (“a citizen, an inhabitant of a free town”), from mūnus (“duty”) + capiō (“to take”).

Usage

Typically precedes the noun it modifies; common in collocations like 'municipal bond', 'municipal election', or 'municipal waste'.

© 2026 English Reference