Malawi

[ muh-lah-wee ]

noun
  1. 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). Capital: Lilongwe.: Formerly Nya·sa·land [nyah-sah-land, nahy-as-uh-] /ˈnyɑ sɑˌlænd, naɪˈæs ə-/ .

  2. Lake Malawi, a lake in southeastern Africa, between Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique. About 11,000 sq. mi. (28,500 sq. km).: Formerly Nya·sa, Nyas·sa [nyah-sah, nahy-as-uh] /ˈnyɑ sɑ, naɪˈæs ə/ .

Other words from Malawi

  • Ma·la·wi·an, adjective, noun

Words Nearby Malawi

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Malawi in a sentence

  • There is no word for happiness in the Malawi tongue and this disturbs him.

    The Land of Look Behind | Paul Cameron Brown

British Dictionary definitions for Malawi

Malawi

/ (məˈlɑːwɪ) /


noun
  1. 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): Former name: Nyasaland

  2. Lake Malawi the Malawi name for (Lake) Nyasa

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

Cultural definitions for Malawi

Malawi

[ (muh-lah-wee) ]


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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.