Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Austria

American  
[aw-stree-uh] / ˈɔ stri ə /

noun

  1. a republic in central Europe. 32,381 sq. mi. (83,865 sq. km). Vienna.


Austria British  
/ ˈɒstrɪə /

noun

  1. German name: Österreich.  a republic in central Europe: ruled by the Hapsburgs from 1282 to 1918; formed a dual monarchy with Hungary in 1867 and became a republic in 1919; a member of the European Union; contains part of the Alps, the Danube basin in the east, and extensive forests. Official language: German. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Vienna. Pop: 8 221 646 (2013 est). Area: 83 849 sq km (32 374 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Austria Cultural  
  1. Mountainous republic in central Europe, bordered by Germany and the former Czechoslovakia to the north, Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. Its capital and largest city is Vienna.


Discover More

The picturesque Tyrol region, in the western part of the country, is a favorite year-round tourist spot.

Under the Hapsburg dynasty (1278–1918), Austria maintained control of the Holy Roman Empire and became a leading player in European politics.

Austria was occupied by Nazi forces in 1938 and annexed by Adolf Hitler to Germany. It was reestablished as a republic in 1945 but remained occupied by four Allied powers until it declared neutrality in 1955.

After losing control of the German portions of the Holy Roman Empire in the nineteenth century, Austria joined with Hungary to create the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867–1918). Allied with Germany, Bulgaria, and Turkey in World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was devastated by the war.

Other Word Forms

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

If Gradik wins her case, it could set a precedent across Austria, the lawyer said.

From Barron's Aug. 15, 2026

Austria, he said, “had never been my country.”

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 14, 2026

It comes after Bulgarian singer Dara won this year's contest in Vienna, Austria in May - her country's first Eurovision win - with her pneumatic dance anthem Bangaranga.

From BBC Aug. 13, 2026

Her cousin’s wife is Austrian footballer Verena Hanshaw, who currently plays for FK Austria.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 12, 2026

The Italians were sure America would declare war on Austria too and they were very excited about any Americans coming down, even the Red Cross.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training