Ethiopia

[ ee-thee-oh-pee-uh ]

/ ˌi θiˈoʊ pi ə /

Save This Word!

noun

Formerly Abyssinia. a republic in E Africa: formerly a monarchy. 409,266 sq. mi. (1,060,000 sq. km). Present boundaries include Eritrea. Capital: Addis Ababa.

Also called Abyssinia. an ancient region in NE Africa, bordering on Egypt and the Red Sea.

QUIZ

FIRE UP YOUR VOCAB FOR A "RED" SYNONYMS QUIZ

No fire engine reds here, only a fierce collection of vibrant words for the color red to test yourself on.

Question 1 of 7

What does "amaranth" mean?

a legendary stone of impenetrable hardness

an imaginary, undying flower

a mythical creature

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Words nearby Ethiopia

ethine, ethinyl estradiol, ethion, ethionamide, Ethiop, Ethiopia, Ethiopian, Ethiopian Church, Ethiopic, ethmo-, ethmoid

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use Ethiopia in a sentence

Biologists think this may arise from the scarcity of food in the mole-rats’ arid habitats in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya.
Like humans, naked mole-rats have regional accents|Rahul Rao|February 25, 2021|Popular-Science
Marie Nielsen, founder of a paper recycling company in Ethiopia called Penda Paper Recycling, is a partner at the firm.
How Antler East Africa is building early-stage startups with experienced professionals|Tage Kene-Okafor|February 19, 2021|TechCrunch
This is a major goal of Teshome Toga, Ethiopia’s ambassador to China for the last two years.
What African countries should be fighting for in negotiations with China|Hannah Ryder|February 11, 2021|Quartz
Shultz’s diplomatic team took the lead in emergency aid to ethnic Eritrean and Tigrean civilians pouring out of famine-wracked Marxist Ethiopia in 1985.
George Shultz Showed U.S. Foreign Policy Is Strongest When We Combine Realism and Human Rights|Robert D. Kaplan|February 9, 2021|Time

Ethiopia has long been considered one of Africa’s economic wunderkinds.
Ethiopia’s hopes to be a global garment manufacturing hub are unravelling with the vicious war in Tigray|Dorothee Baumann-Pauly|January 20, 2021|Quartz
At least 70 percent of the children were adopted from overseas, including Russia, China, Ethiopia and Ukraine.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking|Tina Traster|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rwanda and Ethiopia, symbols in the past of death and mayhem, are now among the fastest-growing economies in the world.
How I Got Addicted to Africa (and Wrote a Thriller About It)|Todd Moss|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After it reached Ethiopia, the contents were distributed and sold out in under two weeks.
'Made in China' Now Being Made in Africa|Brendon Hong|August 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the early 2000s, an acquaintance told Sun about the possibility of doing business in Ethiopia.
'Made in China' Now Being Made in Africa|Brendon Hong|August 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Throughout its history, Israel has helped airlift vulnerable Jewish populations in countries like Yemen and Ethiopia to safety.
Europe’s Jews Punished for Israel’s War|Eli Lake|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And he heard say about Tharaca the king of Ethiopia: He is come forth to fight against thee.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
The grain fields of Ethiopia and Egypt were the themes of the poet, and their garners, the subject of the historian.
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States|Martin R. Delany
Ethiopia and Egypt were the strength thereof, and there is no end: Africa and the Libyans were thy helpers.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, shall my suppliants, the children of my dispersed people, bring me an offering.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
I saw the tents of Ethiopia for their iniquity, the curtains of the land of Madian shall be troubled.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Ethiopia

Ethiopia

/ (ˌiːθɪˈəʊpɪə) /

noun

a state in NE Africa, on the Red Sea: consolidated as an empire under Menelik II (1889–1913); federated with Eritrea from 1952 until 1993; Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by the military in 1974 and the monarchy was abolished in 1975; an independence movement in Eritrea was engaged in war with the government from 1961 until 1993. It lies along the Great Rift Valley and consists of deserts in the southeast and northeast and a high central plateau with many rivers (including the Blue Nile) and mountains rising over 4500 m (15 000 ft); the main export is coffee. Language: Amharic. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: birr. Capital: Addis Ababa. Pop: 93 877 025 (2013 est). Area: 1 128 215 sq km (435 614 sq miles)Former name: Abyssinia

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

Cultural definitions for Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Country in northeastern Africa bordered by Eritrea to the northeast, Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, and Sudan to the west. Formerly called Abyssinia. Its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa.

notes for Ethiopia

Ethiopia is Black Africa's oldest state, tracing its history back more than two thousand years.

notes for Ethiopia

Of all African nations, it most successfully withstood European attempts at colonization, remaining independent throughout its history, with the exception of a six-year period (1935–1941) during which it was occupied by Italy, which was then governed by fascists (see fascism).

notes for Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the world's oldest Christian nations, having been converted in the fourth century.

notes for Ethiopia

Ethiopia was ruled from 1930 to 1936 and again from 1941 to 1974 by the powerful and charismatic Emperor Haile Selassie I (born Ras Tafari Makonnen). Called the “Lion of Judah,” he claimed direct descent from the biblical King Solomon and Queen of Sheba.

notes for Ethiopia

Selassie was overthrown by a military junta, which proclaimed a communist government and became closely allied with the Soviet Union.

notes for Ethiopia

The junta was overthrown in 1991 and the first multiparty elections were held in 1995.

notes for Ethiopia

The country was plagued by famine and economic chaos in the 1980s and 1990s.