Argentina

[ahr-juhn-tee-nuh, ahr-hen-tee-nah]

noun

1. a republic in southern South America. 1,084,120 sq. mi. (2,807,870 sq. km). Buenos Aires.

Argentina

/ ˌɑːdʒənˈtiːnə /

noun

1. Also called: the Argentine. a republic in southern South America: colonized by the Spanish from 1516 onwards; gained independence in 1816 and became a republic in 1852; ruled by military dictatorships for much of the 20th century; civilian rule restored in 1983; consists chiefly of subtropical plains and forests (the Chaco) in the north, temperate plains (the pampas) in the central parts, the Andes in the west, and an infertile plain extending to Tierra del Fuego in the south (Patagonia); an important meat producer. Language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: peso. Capital: Buenos Aires. Pop: 42 610 981 (2013 est). Area: 2 776 653 sq km (1 072 067 sq miles)

Argentina

1. Republic in southern South America, bordered by Chile to the west; Bolivia and Paraguay to the north; and Brazil, Uruguay, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Its capital and largest city is Buenos Aires.

Juan Perón came to power in Argentina in 1946, establishing a dictatorship, and ruled with the aid of his second wife, the popular Eva Perón, until he was overthrown in 1955. He was president again from 1973 to 1974, when he died.

Second-largest nation of South America, after Brazil.

Other Word Forms

• anti-Argentina adjective
• pro-Argentina adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Argentina¹

From Spanish, from Italian: literally “made of silver, silver colored” (equivalent to argento “silver” + -ino adjective suffix), shortening of Terra Argentina “Land of Silver,” or Costa Argentina “Coast of Silver”; ultimately a derivative of Latin argentum “silver”; -ine ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

He also has worked to support right-wing admirers in Brazil and Argentina.

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Fly-half George Ford, who masterminded a 2-0 series win in Argentina in the summer, says England will be expecting a tough time against the Pumas.

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The challenge is to prevent Argentina from falling into a pattern that has dogged Latin America’s third-biggest economy for decades.

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That remains their only loss of 2025, with a home Test against Argentina on Sunday rounding off England's schedule for the calendar year.

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The Six Nations teams will be the northern hemisphere representatives, with South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Fiji and Japan as their opposition.

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