Spain

American  

[speyn] / speɪn /

noun

1. a kingdom in SW Europe. Including the Balearic and Canary islands, 194,988 sq. mi. (505,019 sq. km). Madrid.

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Spain British  

/ speɪn /

noun

1. Spanish name: España.  a kingdom of SW Europe, occupying the Iberian peninsula between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic: a leading European power in the 16th century, with many overseas possessions, esp in the New World; became a republic in 1931; under the fascist dictatorship of Franco following the Civil War (1936–39) until his death in 1975; a member of the European Union. It consists chiefly of a central plateau (the Meseta), with the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains in the north and the Sierra Nevada in the south. Official language: Castilian Spanish, with Catalan, Galician, and Basque official regional languages. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Madrid. Pop: 47 370 542 (2013 est). Area: 504 748 sq km (194 883 sq miles)

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Spain Cultural  

1. Constitutional monarchy in southwestern Europe, consisting of the Spanish mainland (bordered to the northwest by France and to the west by Portugal), the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Madrid.

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Spain Idioms  

1. see castles in the air (Spain).

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Discover More

During the sixteenth century, Spain was the greatest world power. Its success was based partially on the riches it acquired in the New World (see Latin America and South America).

In the Spanish-American War, the United States defeated Spain, freed Cuba from Spanish colonial rule, and seized a number of former Spanish colonies, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

The Spanish monarchy was fully restored in 1975 after Franco's death. He had been dictator (see dictatorship) for thirty-six years.

Under King Juan Carlos, Spain has established a political democracy and has been integrated into the European community.

Bullfighting is a popular spectator sport in Spain.

The destruction of the Spanish Armada, a fleet sent to conquer England in 1588, marked the beginning of the decline of Spanish power.

Basque separatists have carried out many acts of terrorism against Spain.

In the Spanish Civil War, conservatives led by General Francisco Franco overthrew the second Spanish Republic.

Other Word Forms

• anti-Spain
  adjective
• pro-Spain
  adjective

Example Sentences

The visit will come after a trip to Spain in June, demonstrating the pope's interest in engaging with historically Catholic but increasingly secular European countries which had been largely overlooked by his predecessor, Francis.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

Protests also erupted in the 1960s over the participation of Spain under dictator General Francisco Franco, and Portugal under the dictatorship of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

There is also the matter of an incident that, in Spain, never quite became the scandal it perhaps should have.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

The arrival of large numbers of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion has been one source of new workers, while Spain has seen a significant increase in arrivals from Latin America.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Then he puts her right side up and laughs a great big Conquistador laugh that comes all the way from the green, motherland hills of Spain.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez