Bahamas

American  

[buh-hah-muhz, -hey-] / bəˈhɑ məz, -ˈheɪ- /

noun

1. (used with a plural verb) a group of islands in the W Atlantic Ocean, SE of Florida.

2. (used with a singular verb) an independent country comprising this group: formerly a British colony; gained independence 1973. 4,404 sq. mi. (11,406 sq. km). Nassau.

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Bahamas British  

/ bəˈhɑːməz /

plural noun

1. a group of over 700 coral islands (about 20 of which are inhabited) in the Caribbean: a British colony from 1783 until 1964; an independent nation within the Commonwealth from 1973. Language: English. Currency: Bahamian dollar. Capital: Nassau. Pop: 319 031 (2013 est). Area: 13 939 sq km (5381 sq miles)

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Bahamas Cultural  

1. Republic in the Atlantic Ocean, consisting of 700 islands and islets and 2,400 smaller islands, called cays.

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Discover More

The Bahamas were under the control of Britain until 1973, when they became an independent, self-governing state.

The Bahamas are a popular winter resort.

Other Word Forms

• Bahamian
  noun

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Bahamas

We were initially going to go on vacation to the Bahamas, but I asked him either the Bahamas or the World Cup.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

They bought a $365,000 catamaran that became a remote office and their home in the Bahamas and Central America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

On Friday the president begged off attending his son Donald Jr.’s wedding in the Bahamas, saying, “This is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran.”

From Salon ● May 28, 2026

Trump had said a day earlier that the Iran war made it "bad timing" for him to attend Donald Trump Jr's wedding to Bettina Anderson in the Bahamas this weekend.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

He remembered young wives who got ill from sadness when their men went to the Bahamas or the Dominican Republic to cut sugarcane and were never heard from again.

From "Krik? Krak!" by Edwidge Danticat