con ‧ ur ‧ ba ‧ tion /ˌkɒnɜːˈbeɪʃ ə n $ ˌkɑːnɜːr-/ BrE AmE noun [countable] formal
[ Date: 1900-2000 ; Origin: con- + Latin urbs 'city' ]
a group of towns that have spread and joined together to form an area with a high population, often with a large city as its centre