Uruguay

American  

[yoor-uh-gwey, -gwahy, oo-roo-gwahy] / ˈyʊər əˌgweɪ, -ˌgwaɪ, ˌu ruˈgwaɪ /

noun

1. a republic in southeastern South America. 72,172 sq. mi. (186,925 sq. km). Montevideo.

2. a river in southeastern South America, flowing from southern Brazil along the boundary of eastern Argentina into the Río de la Plata. 981 miles (1,580 km) long.

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Uruguay British  

/ ˈjʊərəˌɡwaɪ /

noun

1. a republic in South America, on the Atlantic: Spanish colonization began in 1624, followed by Portuguese settlement in 1680; revolted against Spanish rule in 1820 but was annexed by the Portuguese to Brazil; gained independence in 1825. It consists mainly of rolling grassy plains, low hills, and plateaus. Official language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: peso. Capital: Montevideo. Pop: 3 324 460 (2013 est). Area: 176 215 sq km (68 037 sq miles)

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Uruguay Cultural  

1. Republic on the east coast of South America, tucked between Brazil to the north and east and Argentina to the west. The capital and largest city is Montevideo.

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Discover More

It is a major producer of beef, leather, and wool.

Uruguay was under a repressive and violent military government from 1973 to 1985.

Other Word Forms

• Uruguayan
  adjective
• anti-Uruguayan
  adjective
• pro-Uruguayan
  adjective

Example Sentences

She was immediately interested because the closest known octopus of that shape lives off the coast of Uruguay -- in a different ocean on the other side of South America.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

The games in 2030 will span multiple countries, too, but much smaller ones: Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with opening games in Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

One scientist is from Transylvania, while another is from Uruguay, where a chivito is a popular sandwich.

From Science Daily • May 12, 2026

Under the World Trade Organization’s 1994 Uruguay Round Agreement, the U.S. set annual volume limits for beef imports from individual countries.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

He was there, at the request of the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile, to give a series of lectures on world democracy.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple