Balkan
Americanadjective
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pertaining to the Balkan States or their inhabitants.
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pertaining to the Balkan Peninsula.
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pertaining to the Balkan Mountains.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Balkan
First recorded in 1825–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s heir to the Nuremberg tribunals and special courts established to prosecute crimes from the Balkan wars, the Rwandan genocide and other conflicts of the 20th century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Balkan countries are seeing extreme heat too, with up to 39C forecast in Serbia over the weekend.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
But their footballing reputation is now so established the Balkan nation are benefiting from a diaspora wanting to pull on the red and white checked shirt.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Since the war began, both Ukraine and Moldova have joined the queue of countries seeking accession alongside the Balkan hopefuls: Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
The little Balkan nation of Bulgaria, watching the Italian and Russian setbacks, threw in its lot with the Central Powers.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.
