Delhi

American  

[del-ee] / ˈdɛl i /

noun

1. a union territory in N India. 574 sq. mi. (1,487 sq. km).

2. Also called Old Delhi.  a city in and the capital of this territory: former capital of the old Mogul Empire; administrative headquarters of British India 1912–29.

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Delhi British  

/ ˈdɛlɪ /

noun

1. the capital of India, in the N central part, on the Jumna river: consists of Old Delhi (a walled city reconstructed in 1639 on the site of former cities of Delhi, which date from the 15th century _bc ) and New Delhi to the south, chosen as the capital in 1912, replacing Kolkata (then called Calcutta); university (1922). Pop: 9 817 439 (2001)

2. an administrative division (National Capital Territory) of N India, formerly a Union Territory. Capital: Delhi. Area: 1483 sq km (572 sq miles). Pop: 13 782 976 (2001)

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Delhi Cultural  

1. City in north-central India. New Delhi, the nation's capital, is a division of the city.

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Example Sentences

It was the first visit to New Zealand by an Indian prime minister in 40 years, a sign of Delhi's deeper engagement at a time of strengthened Chinese diplomatic and military presence in the Pacific.

From Barron's • Jul. 11, 2026

Dipke, who flew back from the United States on June 6, began his second protest last month, still ongoing at New Delhi's well-known protest site Jantar Mantar.

From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026

For 20 years, Poonam Agarwal has been cooking and selling plates of yellow-pea curry and fluffy flatbread from her streetside stall next to Old Delhi’s iconic mosque, the Jama Masjid.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

During the day, he loads it with heavy goods that he hauls around Old Delhi’s crowded wholesale markets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

Leon Longbridge was Delhi’s conservation officer and a truly fine man, as the town kids had discovered.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George