Kinshasa

American

[kin-shah-suh, kin-shah-suh] / kɪnˈʃɑ sə, ˈkɪn ʃɑ sə /

noun

a port in and capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the northwestern part, on the Congo (Zaire) River.

Kinshasa British

/ -ˈʃɑːsə, kɪnˈʃɑːzə /

noun

Former name (until 1966): Léopoldville. the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaïre), on the River Congo opposite Brazzaville: became capital of the Belgian Congo in 1929 and of Zaïre in 1960; university (1954). Pop: 5 717 000 (2005 est)

"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

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.

Long queues of cars and motorcycles have built up at petrol stations in DR Congo's sprawling capital Kinshasa over fears of shortages and price hikes after Iran's blockade of a crucial shipping conduit.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Noella Amisi, a nurse in Goma, rushed out for baby formula, sugar and other groceries as soon as she received a $30 mobile-money transfer from her husband in government-held Kinshasa, Congo’s capital city.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

The BBC has contacted the Congolese government in Kinshasa for comment.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

He stood on a pedestal with his right arm raised - just like Lumumba's famous statue in DR Congo's capital, Kinshasa - as fans around him cheered.

From BBC • Jan. 8, 2026

The rumors were even more promising: International forces had supposedly come through and taken back Kinshasa.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023