Malawi

American  

[muh-lah-wee] / məˈlɑ wi /

noun

1. Formerly Nyasaland.  a republic in southeastern Africa, on the western and southern shores of Lake Malawi: formerly a British protectorate and part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland; gained independence July 6, 1964; a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 49,177 sq. mi. (127,368 sq. km). Lilongwe.

2. Formerly Nyasa,.  Formerly Nyassa.  Lake Malawi, a lake in southeastern Africa, between Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique. About 11,000 sq. mi. (28,500 sq. km).

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Malawi British  

/ məˈlɑːwɪ /

noun

1. Former name: Nyasaland.  a republic in E central Africa: established as a British protectorate in 1891; became independent in 1964 and a republic, within the Commonwealth, in 1966; lies along the Great Rift Valley, with Lake Nyasa (Malawi) along the E border, the Nyika Plateau in the northwest, and the Shire (or Shiré) Highlands in the southeast. Official language: Chichewa; English and various other Bantu languages are also widely spoken. Religion: Christian majority, Muslim, and animist minorities. Currency: kwacha. Capital: Lilongwe. Pop: 16 777 547 (2013 est). Area: 118 484 sq km (45 747 sq miles)

2. the Malawi name for (Lake) Nyasa

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Malawi Cultural  

1. Republic in southeast Africa, bordered by Tanzania to the north, Mozambique to the east and south, and Zambia to the west. It became independent in 1964.

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Other Word Forms

• Malawian
  adjective

Example Sentences

Cichlid fish in Lake Malawi, located in East Africa, provide a striking example.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

A Malawi High Court has dismissed a wrongful‑termination case against US pop star Madonna brought by the sister of a former president, in one of the country's longest-running NGO disputes.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

Designers and voice actors in countries including Nigeria, Angola, Malawi, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya also worked on Relooted.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

He was referring to the bilateral health deals that the US has now entered into with several countries including Kenya, Malawi and Nigeria.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

In Malawi, graves are not just six-feet-deep open pits like those dug in Western countries.

From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba