cosmopolis

C3O1S1M3O1P3O1L1I1S1
/kɒzˈmɒ.pɒ.lɪs/

noun

An important city, such as a capital city, inhabited by people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.

OriginAncient Greek πόλις (pólis) ← Proto-Hellenic *ptólis ← Proto-Indo-European *tpelH- →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nouncosmopolis (plural cosmopolises or cosmopoleis)

plural cosmopolises · plural cosmopoleis

  1. An important city, such as a capital city, inhabited by people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱem-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱens-
  3. Proto-Hellenic*kónsmos
  4. Ancient Greekκόσμος (kósmos)
  5. Englishcosmo-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*tpelH-
  7. Proto-Hellenic*ptólis
  8. Ancient Greekπόλις (pólis)
  9. Englishcosmopolis

From cosmo- + -polis.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch kosmopolis
  • kosmopolisan important city, such as a capital city, inhabited by people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
French cosmopole
  • cosmopolean important city, such as a capital city, inhabited by people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
Greek κοσμόπολη
  • κοσμόπολη (kosmópoli)an important city, such as a capital city, inhabited by people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
Malay kosmopolis
  • kosmopolisan important city, such as a capital city, inhabited by people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
Portuguese cosmópolis, cosmópole
  • cosmópolisan important city, such as a capital city, inhabited by people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
  • cosmópolean important city, such as a capital city, inhabited by people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
Spanish cosmópolis
  • cosmópolisan important city, such as a capital city, inhabited by people from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.
Cite this entry
APA

cosmopolis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cosmopolis

MLA

“cosmopolis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cosmopolis. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cosmopolis,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cosmopolis.

Source: cosmopolis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.