cosmopolite

/kɑzˈmɑpəˌlaɪt/

//kɑzˈmɑpəˌlaɪt// noun

"cosmopolite" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cosmopolite” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who is at home in every place; a citizen of the world; a cosmopolitan person.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cosmopolite · cosmopolite · English

cosmopolite · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for cosmopolite
PropertyValue
Headwordcosmopolite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/kɑzˈmɑpəˌlaɪt/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cosmopolite” in English

cosmopoliteranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cosmopolite is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /kɑzˈmɑpəˌlaɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

cosmopolite has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French cosmopolite, from Latin cosmopolītēs, itself borrowed from Koine Greek κοσμοπολίτης (kosmopolítēs, “citizen of the world”), from Ancient Greek κόσμος (kósmos, “world”) + πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”). The correct English form is cosmopolite, spelled C-O-S-M-O-P-O-L-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who is at home in every place; a citizen of the world; a cosmopolitan person.
  2. 2
    The butterfly painted lady (Vanessa cardui).
  3. 3
    A plant found more or less everywhere in the world.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how cosmopolite appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. First drink a health, this solemn night, / A health to England, every guest: / That man’s the best cosmopolite / Who loves his native country best.
  2. Prince Gortschakoff has spoken of the elements of disturbance and the revolutionary cosmopolites of Europe, and has asked France and England and Austria to repress their activity. Well, my Lords, no doubt as carrion birds are drawn by instinct to the battle-field, so, wherever there is disturbance, the moral and political vultures of Europe will flock to…

Etymology

Borrowed from French cosmopolite, from Latin cosmopolītēs, itself borrowed from Koine Greek κοσμοπολίτης (kosmopolítēs, “citizen of the world”), from Ancient Greek κόσμος (kósmos, “world”) + πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cosmopolite"?
"cosmopolite" is spelled C-O-S-M-O-P-O-L-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kɑzˈmɑpəˌlaɪt/.
What does "cosmopolite" mean?
As a noun, "cosmopolite" means: One who is at home in every place; a citizen of the world; a cosmopolitan person.
How do you pronounce "cosmopolite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cosmopolite" is /kɑzˈmɑpəˌlaɪt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cosmopolite"?
Borrowed from French cosmopolite, from Latin cosmopolītēs, itself borrowed from Koine Greek κοσμοπολίτης (kosmopolítēs, “citizen of the world”), from Ancient Greek κόσμος (kósmos, “world”) + πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list