Brunei

American  

[broo-nahy, -ney] / brʊˈnaɪ, -ˈneɪ /

noun

1. a sultanate under British protection on the NW coast of Borneo: formerly a British protectorate; gained independence 1984. 2,220 sq. mi. (5,750 sq. km). Bandar Seri Begawan.

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Brunei British  

/ bruːˈnaɪ, ˈbruːnaɪ /

noun

1. a sultanate in NW Borneo, consisting of two separate areas on the South China Sea, otherwise bounded by Sarawak: controlled all of Borneo and parts of the Philippines and the Sulu Islands in the 16th century; under British protection since 1888; internally self-governing since 1971; became fully independent in 1984 as a member of the Commonwealth. The economy depends chiefly on oil and natural gas. Official language: Malay; English is also widely spoken. Religion: Muslim. Currency: Brunei dollar. Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan. Pop: 415 717 (2013 est). Area: 5765 sq km (2226 sq miles)

2. the former name of Bandar Seri Begawan

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Other Word Forms

• Bruneian adjective

Example Sentences

South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei account for nearly 80% of imported diesel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

She presented herself as a wealthy, illegitimate daughter of the sultan of Brunei, initially showering Mr Hornigold, his then-partner Heather Kaniuk and his friends with lavish gifts, from cars to homes.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2025

What shady business is Timothy up to, and why was he so rattled by that phone call from the Wall Street Journal reporter asking questions about a former colleague in Brunei?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2025

Several countries have offered help, including the US, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

From NewsForKids.net • Nov. 19, 2024

On March 9,1973, the journal Nature published a letter from J. Douglas, a biologist at Brunei University: It is twenty-one years since George Gey established the famous HeLa cells in culture.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot