The terms metropolitan and cosmopolitan are often used to describe large cities, but they have distinct meanings. Metropolitan typically refers to a large city with a high population and employment opportunities, which is also linked socially and economically with nearby areas. Los Angeles, for example, has both the city itself and the surrounding metropolitan area. In contrast, cosmopolitan refers to a large city where people of diverse cultural backgrounds coexist, or the broad-mindedness of a person developed from living in such a city. A city can be both metropolitan and cosmopolitan, but a metropolitan area may not necessarily be cosmopolitan in nature.
Key Takeaways
- Metropolitan refers to a large city with a high population and employment opportunities, linked with nearby areas socially and economically.
- Cosmopolitan refers to a large city with diverse cultural backgrounds or a person’s broad-mindedness from living in such a city.
- A city can be both metropolitan and cosmopolitan, but a metropolitan area may not necessarily be cosmopolitan.
