Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Netherlands

American  
[neth-er-luhndz] / ˈnɛð ər ləndz /

noun

  1. (used with a singular or plural verb) the, a kingdom in W Europe, bordering on the North Sea, Germany, and Belgium. 13,433 sq. mi. (34,790 sq. km). Capitals: Amsterdam and The Hague.


Netherlands British  
/ ˈnɛðələndz /

noun

  1. Also called: Holland. Dutch name: Nederland. a kingdom in NW Europe, on the North Sea: declared independence from Spain in 1581 as the United Provinces; became a major maritime and commercial power in the 17th century, gaining many overseas possessions; formed the Benelux customs union with Belgium and Luxembourg in 1948 and was a founder member of the Common Market, now the European Union. It is mostly flat and low-lying, with about 40 per cent of the land being below sea level, much of it on polders protected by dykes. Official language: Dutch. Religion: Christian majority, Protestant and Roman Catholic, large nonreligious minority. Currency: euro. Capital: Amsterdam, with the seat of government at The Hague. Pop: 16 805 037 (2013 est). Area: 41 526 sq km (16 033 sq miles)

  2. the kingdom of the Netherlands together with the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, esp as ruled by Spain and Austria before 1581; the Low Countries

"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

Other Word Forms

Compare meaning

How does netherlands compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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.

See Examples For:

Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands have been exploring options to set such centres up, with Rwanda said to be the frontrunner to host them.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

The upper and middle sections of the river in Germany are cut off from major northern ports such as Duisburg in Germany and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

Australian Michael Matthews was second, with former winner Mathieu van der Poel, of the Netherlands, in third.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Three of those wins were at major tournaments - the Euros semi-finals in 2021 and 2024 against Denmark and the Netherlands, and the bronze-medal match against France at this summer's World Cup.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

There are many resistance groups, such as Free Netherlands, that forge identity cards, provide financial support to those in hiding, organize hiding places and find work for young Christians who go underground.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training