municipality
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a city, town, or village that has its own local government.
an urban or rural administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government.
Simple“The municipality is responsible for keeping the local parks clean and safe.”
In context“The newly formed municipality encompasses several small villages that previously operated under independent administrative councils.”
UsageOften used in legal or official contexts rather than casual conversation.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the group of people who run a city or town.
the governing body of a local administrative district.
Simple“You need to apply to the municipality for a permit to build a fence.”
In context“The municipality voted to increase funding for public transportation following a series of community consultations.”
UsageCan be used as a collective noun referring to the officials or the institution itself.
Synonyms
“In fact, August 15th is considered to be the day with the most local festivals ( fiestas patronales ) in Spain, with 1,196 municipalities holding their own celebrations.”
“At the time, a Flock executive said that the company’s mission was to “eliminate crime” and that crime was defined by the state or municipality a camera operates in.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.