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.

---

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)

---

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.

---

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

See Examples For:

Peru

In Peru, for example, the number of adults who identify as Catholic dropped from 76% in 2013 to 67% this year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

She said she hopes the pope will deliver "a message of peace, reconciliation, and mercy -- a message full of love," and help Peru "reconcile as a nation" and become a safer place.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026

As the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged Peru, killing hundreds of thousands of people, the man then known fondly as Padre Robert led an emergency campaign to secure medical oxygen for his community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

During his tenure in Peru, Prevost worked in poor and remote northern areas, and remained close to local communities during periods of hardship, visiting them sometimes on horseback.

From Barron's ● Nov. 12, 2026

After landing in Peru he realized that his tiny force was walking into the maw of a powerful empire.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---