municipally

Municipally is an adverb used to describe actions, responsibilities, or characteristics that pertain to a municipality—the local governing authority of a city, town, or district. It is commonly used in formal writing, including legal provisions, planning documents, and government reporting, to distinguish local government matters from state or federal ones.

Examples include phrases such as municipally owned water systems or municipally funded roads. These indicate that the matter is under local control or financed by local taxes. The term is often paired with descriptors like owned, funded, operated, or regulated to specify the nature of local authority.

In contrast to the adjective municipal, which describes things related to a municipality (for example, municipal laws), municipally functions as an adverb modifying verbs or adjectives. In everyday speech, speakers may substitute simpler constructions such as “by the city” or “local government” instead of using municipally.

Etymology: municipally derives from Latin municipalis meaning “of a municipality,” from municipium meaning “city, town.” The word entered English through historical contact with Latin and sometimes via French, with the related noun being municipality.

See also: municipality, municipal, municipal corporation.