Darien

American  

[dair-ee-en, -uhn, dar-, dair-ee-en, dar-] / ˈdɛər iˌɛn, -ən, ˈdær-, ˌdɛər iˈɛn, ˌdær- /

noun

1. Gulf of Darien, an arm of the Caribbean between northeastern Panama and northwestern Colombia.

2. Isthmus of Darien, former name of the Isthmus of Panama.

3. a town in southwestern Connecticut.

4. a city in northeastern Illinois.

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Darien British  

/ ˈdæ-, ˈdɛərɪən /

noun

1. the E part of the Isthmus of Panama, between the Gulf of Darien on the Caribbean coast and the Gulf of San Miguel on the Pacific coast; chiefly within the republic of Panama but extending also into Colombia: site of a disastrous attempt to establish a Scottish colony in 1698

2. the former name of the Isthmus of Panama

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Example Sentences

At 5-foot-4, the Darien, Conn., native isn’t physically imposing, but her quickness, vision and footwork make her a perpetual threat.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

She learned the Hong Kong version to connect with her Chinese grandmother and is co-founder of Gold Coast Mahjong Club, an American club in Darien, Conn.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

More recent departees often take clandestine overland routes into Colombia or Brazil or risked the dangerous journey across the Darien Gap into Central America on their way north.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026

After conquering South America, which involved dodging gangs in the jungles of the Darien Gap, which bridges Panama and Colombia, his route took him through Mexico.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026

Dex and Faris are there, along with the other twenty-seven men in my battle platoon, including Cyril, a barrel-shaped boy who hates taking orders but accepts mine readily, and Darien, who has fists like hammers.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir