I. |käzmə|pälət ə n also -ətən or -əd.ən adjective
Etymology: French cosmopolitain, from Middle French, from cosmopolite + -ain (as in Middle French métropolitain metropolitan)
1. : marked by interest in, familiarity with, or knowledge and appreciation of many parts of the world : not provincial, local, limited, or restricted by the attitudes, interests, or loyalties of a single region, section, or sphere of activity : worldwide rather than regional, parochial, or narrow
the softened cosmopolitan teaching of the prophets of the captivity and the rigid national teaching of the instructors of Israel's youth — Matthew Arnold
his cosmopolitan benevolence, impartially extended to all races and to all creeds — T.B.Macaulay
2. : marked by sophistication and savoir faire arising from urban life and wide travel
the instructor began to put on the airs of the city. He wanted to appear cosmopolitan — Sherwood Anderson
3. : composed of persons, constituents, or elements from all parts of the world or from many different places or levels
that queer, cosmopolitan , rather sinister crowd that is to be found around the Marseilles docks — Rose Macaulay
4. : widely distributed and common : found in most parts of the world and in varied ecological conditions — used of kinds of organisms
coccidia are cosmopolitan parasites
Synonyms: see universal
II. noun
( -s )
: one that is cosmopolitan