Lagos

American  

[lah-gohs, ley-gos] / ˈlɑ goʊs, ˈleɪ gɒs /

noun

1. a seaport in SW Nigeria: former capital.

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Lagos British  

/ ˈleɪɡɒs /

noun

1. the former capital and chief port of Nigeria, on the Bight of Benin: first settled in the sixteenth century; a slave market until the nineteenth century; ceded to Britain (1861); university (1962). Pop: 11 135 000 (2005 est)

2. a state of SW Nigeria. Capital: Ikeja. Pop: 9 013 534 (2006). Area: 3345 sq km (1292 sq miles)

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Lagos Cultural  

1. Capital of Nigeria and largest city in the country, located in the southwest corner of Nigeria on the Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean; Nigeria's economic center and chief port.

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Example Sentences

Lagos is already prepared to delay the City Section Cheer championships scheduled for April 18.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The 32-year-old clothier regularly navigates chaotic traffic to deliver luxury clothes and footwear to customers across the megacity of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

“We don’t panic. We have contingency plans,” Lagos said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The policy's premium was financed to the tune of 90 percent by InsuResilience Solutions Fund -- which is itself financed by Germany -- with Lagos state covering the remainder.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

He talked about how frustrated they felt to have to drive all the way from Lagos because the federal government blockade meant Nigeria Airways was no longer flying to the southeast.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie