Cosmopolitan

Having a worldly, culturally diverse outlook; relating to or including people from many different countries; globally sophisticated.

adjective

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Imagine This

Imagine stepping into a bustling airport where conversations in dozens of languages fill the air, with cuisines from every continent lining the food courts, and people dressed in styles from around the world—this scene embodies a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

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Sounds Like

koz-muh-POH-lih-tuhn

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Looks Like

cosmos + polites (world citizen) hinting at a worldly, diverse perspective

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Remember This

Etymology comes from Greek kosmopolites, literally 'world citizen' (kosmos = world, polites = citizen).

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Other Forms

cosmopolitanismnoun

cosmopolitenoun

cosmopolitanizeverb

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Connect With

worldly, international, global, multicultural, urbane

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Note

Use cosmopolitan to describe people, places, or tastes that reflect worldwide diversity. It contrasts with provincial, insular, or parochial attitudes and should not be confused with cosmology (the study of the universe).

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Study Deeper

Examples

New York is a cosmopolitan city with residents and cuisines from all over the world.
Her cosmopolitan outlook makes her comfortable in both Tokyo and Paris.

Synonyms

worldlyinternationalglobalmulticulturalurbane

Antonyms

provincialinsularparochial

Etymology

From Greek kosmopolites, formed from kosmos 'world' and polites 'citizen'; literally 'world citizen'.

Mnemonic

Think of a world traveler named Cosmo who is a true world citizen; 'cosmo' = world and 'politan' evokes citizen in every city.