The term metropolitan area, according to Wikipedia, is sometimes abbreviated to ‘metro’, for example in Metro Manila and Washington, DC Metro Area, which in the latter case should not be mistaken to mean the metro rail system of the city. In France the term for a metropolitan area is an aire urbaine (urban area). In Japan that would be toshiken (???, toshiken? lit. bloc of cities).

In Australia, Statistical Divisions (SDs) are defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics as areas under the unifying influence of one or more major towns or cities. Each capital city forms its own Statistical Division, and the population of the SD is the most-often quoted figure for that city’s population. Statistical Districts are defined as non-capital but predominantly urban areas (for example that of Newcastle). The statistical divisions that encompass the capital cities are commonly though unofficially called ‘metropolitan areas’.