Panama
Americannoun
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a republic in southern Central America. 28,575 square miles (74,010 square kilometers).
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Also called Panama City. a city in and the capital of Panama, at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal.
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Formerly Darien. Isthmus of Panama an isthmus between North and South America.
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Gulf of Panama the portion of the Pacific Ocean in the bend of the Isthmus of Panama.
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Sometimes panama Panama hat.
noun
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a republic in Central America, occupying the Isthmus of Panama: gained independence from Spain in 1821 and joined Greater Colombia; became independent in 1903, with the immediate area around the canal forming the Canal Zone under US jurisdiction; Panama assumed sovereignty over the Canal Zone in 1979 and full control in 1999. Official language: Spanish; English is also widely spoken. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: balboa. Capital: Panama City. Pop: 3 559 408 (2013 est). Area: 75 650 sq km (29 201 sq miles)
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Former name: Darien. Isthmus of Darien. an isthmus linking North and South America, between the Pacific and the Caribbean. Length: 676 km (420 miles). Width (at its narrowest point): 50 km (31 miles)
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a wide inlet of the Pacific in Panama
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Backed by the United States, which wanted to negotiate a treaty to build a canal connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, Panama revolted against Colombia, of which it was a part, and declared itself independent in 1903.
In 1989, the United States invaded Panama and forcibly removed its leader, Manuel Noriega, to the United States, where he was tried and convicted for drug trafficking. (See also Panama Canal.)
The United States built the Panama Canal from 1904 to 1914, and American relations with Panama long were shaped by the U.S. presence in the Canal Zone, which divides the country.
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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.
England's World Cup group games against Croatia and Ghana kicked off at 21:00 while the Panama game was at 22:00.
From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026
From Panama City, Machado said in a video posted on social media on Monday that the earthquake catastrophe made it “impossible to postpone” her return.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026
Thanks to a WhatsApp group, neighbors from the 14-story Petunia building where Magnolia lived were able to connect with those looking for their relatives -- from the US, Spain, Dominican Republic, Panama and Ecuador.
From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026
Panama, for example, does not tax U.S. retirement income, and you can maintain a U.S. retirement account with a Panama address.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026
From there, Dobyns discovered, colonial accounts show smallpox hopscotching through Central America to Panama.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
