municipal

[myoo-nis-uh-puh l] /myuˈnɪs ə pəl/

adjective

of or pertaining to a town or city or its local government:

municipal elections.

Archaic. pertaining to the internal affairs of a state or nation rather than to international affairs.

noun

Origin

1530-40; < Latin mūnicipālis, equivalent to mūnicip- (stem of mūniceps) citizen of a free town (mūni(a) duties + -cip-, combining form of capere to take) + -ālis -al¹

Related forms

municipally, adverb

intermunicipal, adjective

nonmunicipal, adjective

nonmunicipally, adverb

premunicipal, adjective

quasi-municipal, adjective

quasi-municipally, adverb

supermunicipal, adjective

Examples from the web for municipal

You could also buy municipal bonds, which are probably the best value in the bond market these days.
He is now in charge of all the computers at a mid-size municipal library.
The main opposition party also lost a host of council seats at the county and municipal levels.
Stockton began a concerted municipal tree-planting program in the 1920s.
It will impair our ability to monitor ground water conditions impacting municipal water supplies in limestone aquifers.
Non-partisanship in municipal politics was a poet's dream, nice but so unsubstantial.
Your state and municipal job listings have some part-time positions.
They are converting millions of tons of municipal waste into clean electricity and fertilizer.
Nevertheless, concerted efforts to conserve municipal water supplies can help stave off shortages.
Follow local directions for municipal garbage pickup of hazardous wastes.

British Dictionary definitions for municipal

municipal

/mjuːˈnɪsɪpəl/

adjective

of or relating to a town, city, or borough or its local government

Derived Forms

municipalism, noun
municipalist, noun
municipally, adverb

Word Origin

C16: from Latin mūnicipium a free town, from mūniceps citizen from mūnia responsibilities + capere to take

Word Origin and History for municipal

adj.

1540s, from Middle French municipal, from Latin municipalis "of a citizen of a free town, of a free town," also "of a petty town, provincial," from municipium "free town, city whose citizens have the privileges of Roman citizens but are governed by their own laws," from municeps "citizen, inhabitant of a free town." Second element is root of capere "assume, take" (see capable). First element is from munus (plural munia) "service performed for the community, duty, work," also "public spectacle paid for by the magistrate, (gladiatorial) entertainment, gift," from Old Latin moenus "service, duty, burden," from PIE *moi-n-es-, generally taken as a suffixed form of root *mei- "to change, go, move" (Watkins; see mutable); but Tucker says "more probably" from the other PIE root *mei- meaning "bind," so that munia = "obligations" and communis = "bound together."