Spain
Americannoun
noun
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During the sixteenth century, Spain was the greatest world power. Its success was based partially on the riches it acquired in the New World (see Latin America and South America).
In the Spanish-American War, the United States defeated Spain, freed Cuba from Spanish colonial rule, and seized a number of former Spanish colonies, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.
The Spanish monarchy was fully restored in 1975 after Franco's death. He had been dictator (see dictatorship) for thirty-six years.
Under King Juan Carlos, Spain has established a political democracy and has been integrated into the European community.
Bullfighting is a popular spectator sport in Spain.
The destruction of the Spanish Armada, a fleet sent to conquer England in 1588, marked the beginning of the decline of Spanish power.
Basque separatists have carried out many acts of terrorism against Spain.
In the Spanish Civil War, conservatives led by General Francisco Franco overthrew the second Spanish Republic.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
By comparison, Spain has allocated less than $230 million over the past decade for its Campo de Gibraltar security plan, launched to dismantle criminal networks in the south of Spain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Among them was his son, Ben Goffe, who has performed in Shakespeare in London's West End and has been working on a major film project in Spain.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Zendaya and Holland made appearances in Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and the U.K.—however, it remains unclear exactly where they plan to settle down when those commitments come to an end.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
The Netherlands, Iceland, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all pulled out of the 2026 contest -- with the latter three refusing to broadcast the show at all.
From Barron's
With the fighting dragging on, Henry IV was not crowned until 1594, a year after he had once again declared himself to be a Catholic, and even then the conflict with Spain continued.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
