Malaya

American  

[muh-lay-uh] / məˈleɪ ə /

noun

1. Malay Peninsula.

2. Formerly Malayan Union, Malay States. Federation of Malaya. a former federation of 11 states in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula: a British protectorate 1948–57; now forms part of Malaysia. 50,690 sq. mi. (131,287 sq. km). Kuala Lumpur.

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Malaya British  

/ məˈleɪə /

noun

1. part of Malaysia, in the S Malay Peninsula, constituting Peninsular Malaysia: consists of the former Federated Malay States, the former Unfederated Malay States, and the former Straits Settlements. Capital: Kuala Lumpur. Pop: 17 144 322 (2000). Area: 131 587 sq km (50 806 sq miles)

2. a federation of the nine Malay States of the Malay Peninsula and two of the Straits Settlements (Malacca and Penang): formed in 1948: became part of the British Commonwealth in 1957 and joined Malaysia in 1963

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Malaya

"Malaysia speaks so strongly about the protection of civilians, humanitarian principles and the consistent application of international law in Palestine," said Khoo of Universiti Malaya.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

For those whose husbands fought for the British in the jungles of places like Malaya and Borneo in the1950s and 60s time is now running out.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

When senior Malaya Galindez, 21, who aspires to be a physician and is majoring in health and human sciences, told her parents that she intended to minor in comedy, her father was surprised.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025

Only weeks after the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the emperor’s soldiers swept south through Malaya, often riding on cheap pushbikes in an assault dubbed “the bicycle blitzkrieg.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025

Malaya stepped forward, with the whole village behind her.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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