ENGLISH
REFERENCE

municipality

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˌmjunɪsəˈpæɫəti// UK //mjuːnˈɪsɪpˈælɪti// mu·nic·i·pal·i·ty

n. a city, town, or village that has its own local government. It can also refer to the group of people who run that local area.

n. a city, town, or district possessing corporate status and powers of self-government. Refers both to the administrative territory and the governing body itself.


SIMPLE

The municipality provides water and trash services to all residents.

CONTEXTUAL

After the heavy snowfall, the municipality sent out trucks to clear the main roads and salt the sidewalks.

COMPLEX

The merger of several smaller villages into a single municipality allowed for more efficient allocation of resources and a unified approach to regional urban planning.

Origin

Borrowed from French municipalité (Edmund Burke), from municipal + -ité, from Latin municipalis, from municipium (“free city, township”), from municeps (“citizen of a free city or township”), from mūnus (“duty, service”) + -ceps (“taker, catcher”). Equivalent to municipal + -ity.

Usage

Often used in formal or administrative contexts to replace 'city' or 'town council'.

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