city in Canada, originally Ville Marie de Montréal, settled by the French 1642, named for the hill on which it was built, Mont Réal, in French literally "royal mount;" named 1534 by Jacques Cartier in honor of Francis I. Related: Montrealer.
City in southern Quebec province, Canada, on Montreal Island in the St. Lawrence River; a cultural, commercial, financial, and industrial center.
Note: Montreal is the second-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and the second-largest city in Canada, after Toronto.
Note: It lies at the foot of Mount Royal, for which it is named.