Congolese

American  

[kong-guh-leez, -lees] / ˌkɒŋ gəˈliz, -ˈlis /

adjective

1. of or relating to the People's Republic of the Congo or the Congo region, its inhabitants, or their languages.

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noun

plural

Congolese

1. an inhabitant or native of the People's Republic of the Congo or of the Congo region.

Congolese British  

/ ˌkɒŋɡəˈliːz /

adjective

1. of or relating to the Republic of the Congo or the Democratic Republic of the Congo or their inhabitants

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of the Republic of the Congo or the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Other Word Forms

• anti-Congolese
  adjective
• pro-Congolese
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Congolese

First recorded in 1895–1900; from French congolais, irregular formation; see -ese

Example Sentences

The corridor's backbone is the historic Benguela railway, which runs west to east from Lobito to the Congolese border.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Scaling up will require more work on the Congolese side of the border, he said.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

In 2021, Uganda and DR Congo launched a joint offensive to drive the ADF out of their Congolese strongholds, but it has so far failed to put an end to the group's attacks.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

The Democratic Republic of Congo has agreed to accept migrants deported from the US who are not themselves Congolese under a deal effective from this month, officials said.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

The group had been working to resettle tens of thousands of Congolese refugees.

From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana