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Bern

American  
[burn, bern] / bɜrn, bɛrn /
Or Berne

noun

  1. a city in and the capital of Switzerland, in the W part: capital of Bern canton.

  2. a canton in W Switzerland. 2,658 sq. mi. (6,885 sq. km). Bern.


Bern British  
/ bɜːn, bɛrn /

noun

  1. the capital of Switzerland, in the W part, on the Aar River: entered the Swiss confederation in 1353 and became the capital in 1848. Pop: 122 700 (2002 est)

  2. a canton of Switzerland, between the French frontier and the Bernese Alps. Capital: Bern. Pop: 950 200 (2002 est). Area: 6884 sq km (2658 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

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.

Rome had recalled its ambassador to Switzerland on Saturday, and on Monday said he would not return to Bern until Italy gets effective judicial cooperation and the establishment of a joint investigation team.

From Barron's

Benjamin Matheson, assistant professor at the University of Bern’s Institute on Philosophy, studies collective shame and writes on celebrity apology.

From Los Angeles Times

Bern had also reiterated that "we are firmly and strongly opposed to any form of the death penalty", she added.

From Barron's

Critics in Bern are now calling the timing and the gifts themselves deeply suspect.

From Salon

Bern estimated it would double the cost of Switzerland's current militia system, which sees army conscripts do at least four months' service before being called up repeatedly over a decade for weeks-long refresher sessions.

From Barron's