What does the greek word polis refer to?

The Greek concept of 'polis' is a "city state".

The Word is untranslated when incorporated into English Words such as metropolis. The English Word 'Metropolis' is from the same Greek Word, which, in Greek, means 'parent state', but the usage in English is quite different from the Greek meaning of metropolis

Therefore 'city-state' would be the direct equivalent of polis. However, there are very few city-states today, and it would be best to check if you wish to apply 'polis' (city-state) status to any modern city, state or country.

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