Meaning & use
a municipality
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Meanings
nouncountable
A city, town, or other local area that has its own government and legal powers.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a municipality', 'the municipality', 'municipalities'. Often used with 'the' when referring to a specific one.
Patterns
- a municipality of a region
- the municipality of a place
- local municipality
The municipality of Springfield is responsible for waste collection and road maintenance.
She works for a small municipality in the northern part of the country.
Funding for schools is often provided by the municipality rather than the national government.
nouncountable
The governing body of such a local area.
Grammar: Refers to the group of officials or the administrative unit itself. Often used with 'the'.
Patterns
- the municipality approved something
- the municipality provides something
The municipality voted to increase property taxes to pay for new parks.
Residents complained to the municipality about the noise from the construction site.
Word forms
| plural | municipalities |
|---|
Common combinations
- local municipality
- The local municipality organizes the annual summer festival.
- municipality of
- The municipality of Kyoto has a rich cultural heritage.
- municipal government
- Municipal government officials met to discuss the budget.
- municipal services
- Municipal services include water supply and garbage collection.
- municipal election
- Voter turnout in the municipal election was lower than expected.
Synonyms and how they differ
- town
- A town is a general term for a populated area, but it does not necessarily have its own government; a municipality always has a local administration.
- city
- A city is usually larger and may or may not be a separate municipality; municipality is the legal term for the governing unit.
- borough
- A borough is a specific type of municipality, often part of a larger city, as in New York City.
Word family
- municipal adjective
- Relating to a municipality or its government, e.g., municipal laws.
- municipally adverb
- In a way that relates to a municipality, e.g., municipally owned.
Commonly confused: a municipality or municipal?
a municipality vs municipal
Municipal is an adjective meaning 'relating to a municipality'; municipality is the noun for the place or government itself.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'municipality' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'municipality' as a countable noun referring to a local government that provides services. Option 1 is wrong because a municipality is not a law. Option 2 is wrong because 'municipality of the United States' is not a standard phrase; one would say 'a city in the United States'. Option 3 is wrong because a municipality is not a person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a municipality”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.