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Belfast

American  
[bel-fast, -fahst, bel-fast, -fahst] / ˈbɛl fæst, -fɑst, bɛlˈfæst, -ˈfɑst /

noun

  1. a seaport in and capital of Northern Ireland, on the E coast.


Belfast British  
/ ˈbɛlfɑːst, bɛlˈfɑːst /

noun

  1. the capital of Northern Ireland, a port on Belfast Lough in Belfast district, Co Antrim and Co Down: became the centre of Irish Protestantism and of the linen industry in the 17th century; seat of the Northern Ireland assembly and executive. Pop: 276 459 (2001)

  2. a district of W Northern Ireland, in Co Antrim and Co Down. Pop: 271 596 (2003 est). Area: 115 sq km (44 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Belfast Cultural  
  1. Capital, largest city, and major port of Northern Ireland.


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For centuries the city has been the site of violent conflict between Protestant and Roman Catholic residents.

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.

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Queen's University Belfast also removed a £35,000 bust from its grounds.

From BBC Sep. 21, 2026

There was also no evidence about any physical interaction between the schoolboy and anyone else during his journey from his south Belfast to the north.

From BBC Sep. 15, 2026

He was found dead six days later in the water tunnel in the north of the city, which leads into Belfast Lough, with the cause of death found to be drowning.

From BBC Sep. 15, 2026

Noah went missing on Sunday, 21 June 2020, after leaving his south Belfast home on his bicycle, sparking a huge search across the city.

From BBC Sep. 15, 2026

He was born in 1824 in Belfast, the son of a professor of mathematics at the Royal Academical Institution who soon after transferred to Glasgow.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

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