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

Every morning, Shakuntala Devi and Shakiba Bibi - neighbours at a slum in India's capital Delhi - leave their homes, walking from one shop to another in search of a cooking gas cylinder.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Last Christmas Eve, a 77-year-old woman in New Delhi got an unexpected call from what she thought was the police.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

New Delhi has prioritised supply for households, shielding Indians who use it to cook food.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Activist Grace Banu told a press conference in Delhi that the community was seeking "recognition without invasion" and "rights without humiliation".

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

In the winter of 2012, I traveled from Delhi to Calcutta to visit my cousin Moni.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee