What does megalopolis mean?
A megalopolis is an enormous, continuous urban area created by the expansion and merging of several cities or metropolitan regions. It describes not simply a large settlement but a broad urban corridor in which formerly distinct settlements become functionally and visually interconnected. The word is often associated with population growth, suburban expansion, transportation networks, congestion, and the environmental and social effects of uncontrolled urbanization. It is also occasionally used for an exceptionally large city, although its more precise meaning concerns the wider urban region. In writing, a megalopolis suggests a scale and degree of metropolitan integration beyond that conveyed by “metropolis.” The term is especially useful in geography, urban planning, history, and social analysis when discussing how expanding cities alter the landscape, economies, and identities of the communities around them.
nounA very large urban area formed by the expansion and merging of numerous cities and towns. The term can also refer to a major city regarded as part of an extensive metropolitan region.
- A large urban region formed by the expansion and merging of numerous cities, towns, and metropolitan areas.
- A very large city, especially when regarded as the central part of a sprawling urban region.
"The surrounding region has developed into a megalopolis, stretching across several cities and counties."
"Rapid population growth turned the corridor into a megalopolis."
"The book examines how a traditional village developed into a megalopolis."
The standard plural adds the ending -es.
"The world's fastest-growing megalopolises continue to expand into surrounding countryside."
When several metropolises merge into one continuous urban sprawl, the result is a megalopolis: a city so vast that its identity becomes regional.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does megalopolis come from?
The word comes from Greek megas, meaning “great” or “large,” and polis, meaning “city.” It was formed in the 19th century as a calque on the older English word metropolis, whose own elements similarly combine a form of “great” with “city.” Related English words preserve these components: metropolitan comes from Greek metropolitanē, while megaphone and megalomania contain Greek megas in different senses.
Related word forms
How megalopolis is actually used
The word is formal and descriptive, commonly used in geography, urban planning, journalism, and the social sciences. It is more extensive than “metropolis” and is not normally used for a merely large city.
Easily confused with megalopolis
A metropolis is a large city and its surrounding metropolitan area, whereas a megalopolis usually describes a vast urban region formed by the growth and joining of multiple cities.