Belize

American  

[buh-leez] / bəˈliz /

noun

1. Formerly British Honduras.  a parliamentary democracy in northern Central America: a former British crown colony; gained independence 1981. 8,867 sq. mi. (22,966 sq. km). Belmopan.

2. Also called Belize City.  a seaport in and the main city of Belize.

3. a river flowing northeast through Belize to the Gulf of Honduras. 180 miles (290 km) long.

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Belize British  

/ bəˈliːz /

noun

1. Former name (until 1973): British Honduras.  a state in Central America, on the Caribbean Sea: site of a Mayan civilization until the 9th century _ad ; colonized by the British from 1638; granted internal self-government in 1964; became an independent state within the Commonwealth in 1981. Official language: English; Carib and Spanish are also spoken. Currency: Belize dollar. Capital: Belmopan. Pop: 334 297 (2013 est). Area: 22 965 sq km (8867 sq miles)

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Other Word Forms

• Belizean adjective

Example Sentences

Some cruise ports in foreign countries such as Belize have medication stalls that cater to passengers.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Before this discovery, only five major tektite fields were known worldwide, located in Australasia, Central Europe, the Ivory Coast, North America, and Belize.

From Science Daily • Mar. 1, 2026

On a kayaking trip in Belize, a tour leader discovered that she couldn’t light her portable cooking stove.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

His father was a Marine for 20 years and came here as a teenager from Belize.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 15, 2025

But first, Mom had to find a caretaker in Belize who could move into the house with Grandpa Silas to take care of him while Grandma was away.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles