Crossword clue: a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

The most common answer is city (4 letters).

2 answers found in Letterora's clue database (Wikidata facts, Open Trivia DB, WordNet and Webster definitions — all licensed sources).

Possible answers

city 4 letters wn-def

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

metropolis 10 letters wn-def

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts