Municipal, Municipality

MUNICIPAL - Strictly, this word applies only to what belongs to a city. Among the Romans, cities were called municipia; these cities voluntarily joined the Roman republic in relation to their sovereignty only, retaining, their laws, their liberties, and their magistrates, who were thence called municipal magistrates. With us this word has a more extensive meaning; for example, we call municipal law, not the law of a city only, but the law of the state. Municipal is used in contradistinction to international; thus we say an offence against the law of nations is an international offence, but one committed against a particular state or separate community, is a municipal offence.

MUNICIPALITY - The body of officers, taken collectively, belonging to a city, who are appointed to manage its affairs and defend its interests.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.