Uruguay

American  

[yoor-uh-gwey, -gwahy, oo-roo-gwahy] / ˈyʊər əˌgweɪ, -ˌgwaɪ, ˌu ruˈgwaɪ /

noun

1. a republic in southeastern South America. 72,172 sq. mi. (186,925 sq. km). Montevideo.

2. a river in southeastern South America, flowing from southern Brazil along the boundary of eastern Argentina into the Río de la Plata. 981 miles (1,580 km) long.

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Uruguay British  

/ ˈjʊərəˌɡwaɪ /

noun

1. a republic in South America, on the Atlantic: Spanish colonization began in 1624, followed by Portuguese settlement in 1680; revolted against Spanish rule in 1820 but was annexed by the Portuguese to Brazil; gained independence in 1825. It consists mainly of rolling grassy plains, low hills, and plateaus. Official language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: peso. Capital: Montevideo. Pop: 3 324 460 (2013 est). Area: 176 215 sq km (68 037 sq miles)

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Uruguay Cultural  

1. Republic on the east coast of South America, tucked between Brazil to the north and east and Argentina to the west. The capital and largest city is Montevideo.

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Discover More

It is a major producer of beef, leather, and wool.

Uruguay was under a repressive and violent military government from 1973 to 1985.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anti-Uruguayan
  adjective
• pro-Uruguayan
  adjective
• Uruguayan
  adjective

Example Sentences

This is the only group with two former champions in Spain, the 2010 winner when it beat the Netherlands for its first world title, and Uruguay, whose two titles came in 1930 and 1950.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Spain has returned to its championship pedigree and is among the tournament favorites, while a rebuilding Uruguay, not so much.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Uruguay probably won’t win the World Cup, but La Celeste is already a champion in the base camp sweepstakes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

Next up, the gorillas Chenchi and Faustina were presented with two pinatas shaped like player jerseys -- one from Spain, and the other from Uruguay.

From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026

In the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, the voyaging Charles Darwin discovered hundreds of square miles strangled by feral artichoke.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann