noun
prefecture-level city (China)
A Chinese administrative division ranking below a province and above a county. Used in discussions of Chinese geography, politics, and economics.
中国には多くの地級市がある。
There are many prefecture-level cities in China.
この地級市は経済発展が著しい。
This prefecture-level city has seen remarkable economic development.
直轄市 is a direct-controlled municipality, a higher-level division directly under the central government, unlike 地級市 which is under a province.
From Chinese 地级市 (dìjíshì), composed of 地 (prefecture), 級 (level), and 市 (city).