Megapolitan

A variant of Megalopolitan; analysable as Megapolis +‎ -itan. Megapolis is derived from Late Latin megapolis, from Ancient Greek μεγα- (mega-, “prefix meaning ‘large’”) + πόλις (pólis, “city”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /mɛɡəˈpɒlɪtən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /mɛɡəˈpɑlɪtən/, /-lə-/
• Homophone: megapolitan
• Hyphenation: Me‧ga‧pol‧i‧tan

Megapolitan (not comparable)

1. (Ancient Greece) Of, pertaining to, or from the ancient city of Megalopolis (now Megalopoli) in Greece.

   Synonym: Megalopolitan

   • 1860, “SELLASIA”, in , editor, The Encyclopædia Britannica, or Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature, 8th edition, Boston, Mass.: Little, Brown, & Co., →OCLC, page 42, column 1:

     At length he assaulted with his right wing the position of Eucleidas; and, favoured by an error of that general, and a timely charge of Philopœmen with the Megapolitan cavalry, gained a complete victory.

   • 1902 January, H. R. James, “Art. V.—Across the Peloponnesus.”, in The Calcutta Review, volume CXIV, number CCXXVII, Calcutta: Printed & published by the City Press, , Messrs. Thacker, Spink & Co., ">…]; Madras: Messrs. Higginbotham & Co.; London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ld., , →OCLC, section III (Karytæna and Megalopolis), page 51:

     The upshot is, we are guided by a party of shock-headed Arcadians, who are going in the direction of the excavations, and a Megapolitan boy who has probably an eye to gain.

Megapolitan (plural Megapolitans)

1. (Ancient Greece) An inhabitant of the ancient city of Megalopolis (now Megalopoli) in Greece.

   Synonym: Megalopolitan

   • 1670, Quintus Curtius Rufus, “The Sixth Book of Quintus Curtius. Of the Acts of Alexander the Great, King of Macedon.”, in Robert Codrington, transl., The Life and Death of Alexander the Great, King of Macedon. In Ten Books,  Exactly Conferred with the Original, and Purged from Many Gross Errors and Absurdities, with which It before Abounded. Done into English by the Same Hand which Translated the Last Volume of the Holy Court.">…], London: Printed for Tho Johnson for Samuel Speed, , →OCLC, page 213:

     The Megapolitans whoſe City did abide the ſiege, were compelled to pay as a fine for their rebellion twenty talents to the Athenians, and the Æolians.

   • 1709, Lewis Ellis du Pin , “Sect. XXXV. An Abridgment of the History of the Time between Xerxes and Alexander the Great, Extracted from Diodorus Siculus. ”, in The Universal Library of Historians; (viz.) The Oriental, Greek, Latin, French, German, Spanish, Italian, English, and Others.  Written in French . Done into English from the Paris Edicion.">…], volume II, London: Printed for R. Bonwicke , →OCLC, page 159:

     The Lacedæmonians, in Conjunction with the Phocenſes, make War with the Megapolitans, Thebans and Argives. After ſeveral Battles, in which both ſides are ſometimes ſucceſsful, and at other times unſucceſsful, a Truce is concluded between the Lacedæmonians and Megapolitans.

   • 1896, Adolf Holm, , “The Sacred War—Beginning of Demosthenes’ Career (356–352)”, in The History of Greece from Its Commencement to the Close of the Independence of the Greek Nation Translated from the German: In Four Volumes, volume III (The 4th century B.C. up to the Death of Alexander), London: Macmillan and Co., Limited; New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, page 238:

     When, therefore, the above-mentioned request for help from the Megapolitans reached Athens in 352, Demosthenes expressed himself in favour of complying with it, especially emphasizing the necessity of not allowing Sparta to become too powerful.

• Megalopolis, Greece on Wikipedia.Wikipedia