Austria

American  

[aw-stree-uh] / ˈɔ stri ə /

noun

1. a republic in central Europe. 32,381 sq. mi. (83,865 sq. km). Vienna.

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Austria British  

/ ˈɒstrɪə /

noun

1. German name: Österreich.  a republic in central Europe: ruled by the Hapsburgs from 1282 to 1918; formed a dual monarchy with Hungary in 1867 and became a republic in 1919; a member of the European Union; contains part of the Alps, the Danube basin in the east, and extensive forests. Official language: German. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Vienna. Pop: 8 221 646 (2013 est). Area: 83 849 sq km (32 374 sq miles)

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Austria Cultural  

1. Mountainous republic in central Europe, bordered by Germany and the former Czechoslovakia to the north, Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. Its capital and largest city is Vienna.

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The picturesque Tyrol region, in the western part of the country, is a favorite year-round tourist spot.

Under the Hapsburg dynasty (1278–1918), Austria maintained control of the Holy Roman Empire and became a leading player in European politics.

Austria was occupied by Nazi forces in 1938 and annexed by Adolf Hitler to Germany. It was reestablished as a republic in 1945 but remained occupied by four Allied powers until it declared neutrality in 1955.

After losing control of the German portions of the Holy Roman Empire in the nineteenth century, Austria joined with Hungary to create the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867–1918). Allied with Germany, Bulgaria, and Turkey in World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was devastated by the war.

Other Word Forms

• Austrian
  adjective
• anti-Austria
  adjective
• anti-Austrian
  adjective
• pro-Austrian
  adjective
• pseudo-Austrian
  adjective
• trans-Austrian
  adjective
• un-Austrian
  adjective

Example Sentences

Austria later boycotted Eurovision in 1969 when it was hosted by Spain, then under the rule of dictator Francisco Franco.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

The competition features no Irish entrant and national broadcaster RTÉ will not be showing events from Austria, airing a Eurovision-themed episode of sitcom Father Ted instead.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Thanks to operatic singer JJ's victory in Basel with "Wasted Love", Austria is hosting for the third time, having staged the 1967 and 2015 contests.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

These are from 2025 winner Austria and the UK, Italy, France and Germany, which provide extra financial support for Eurovision.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

France, Austria, Spain, and Russia fought England and Prussia for nine years.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife