Peru

American  

[puh-roo] / pəˈru /

noun

1. Spanish Perú.  a republic in western South America. 496,222 sq. mi. (1,285,215 sq. km). Lima.

2. a city in north-central Indiana.

3. a city in northern Illinois.

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Peru British  

/ pəˈruː /

noun

1. a republic in W South America, on the Pacific: the centre of the great Inca Empire when conquered by the Spanish in 1532; gained independence in 1824 by defeating Spanish forces with armies led by San Martín and Bolívar; consists of a coastal desert, rising to the Andes; an important exporter of minerals and a major fishing nation. Official languages: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Official religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: nuevo sol. Capital: Lima. Pop: 29 849 303 (2013 est). Area: 1 285 215 sq km (496 222 sq miles)

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Peru Cultural  

1. Republic in western South America, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador to the northwest, Colombia to the northeast, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and Chile to the south. Its capital and largest city is Lima.

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Discover More

Peru was the heart of the Inca Empire, which flourished from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. The remains of the empire include the fabled stone fortress of Machu Picchu.

Achieved independence from Spain in 1821.

Other Word Forms

• Peruvian
  adjective
• non-Peruvian
  adjective

Example Sentences

Peru followed this month, though Keiko Fujimori’s victory still isn’t official.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

El Niño forms when several of these Kelvin waves occur over a period of months, causing warm water to accumulate along the coasts of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026

Founded in Venezuela, Tren de Aragua has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and is also active in Colombia, Peru and Chile.

From Barron's • Jun. 13, 2026

Flooding is common in northern Peru and southern Ecuador, and can reach parts of East Africa, Central Asia and the southern United States.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

But each such local population has its own unique features, with the result that chiefdoms did emerge in the highlands of Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and Madagascar, but not in those of New Guinea or Guadalcanal.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond