Falkland Islands

[ fawk-luhnd ]

plural noun
  1. a self-governing British colony also claimed by Argentina: site of a war between the two nations in 1982. 4,618 sq. mi. (11,961 sq. km).

  • Also called Falklands.
  • Spanish Is·las Mal·vi·nas [eez-lahz mahl-vee-nahs] /ˈiz lɑz mɑlˈvi nɑs/ .

Words Nearby Falkland Islands

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How to use Falkland Islands in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Falkland Islands

Falkland Islands

/ (ˈfɔːlklənd) /


pl n
  1. a group of over 100 islands in the S Atlantic: a UK Overseas Territory; invaded by Argentina, who had long laid claim to the islands, on 2 April 1982; recaptured by a British expeditionary force on 14 June 1982. Chief town: Stanley. Pop: 3140 (2008 est). Area: about 12 200 sq km (4700 sq miles): Spanish name: Islas Malvinas

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 Falkland Islands (1 of 2)

Falkland Islands

[ (fawk-luhnd, fawlk-luhnd) ]


Islands in the south Atlantic Ocean located near Argentina but owned by Britain. Argentina, which has long claimed title to the islands and refers to them as Islas Malvinas, seized them in 1982, but Britain retook them after a brief war.

Falkland Islands

[ (fawk-luhnd, fawlk-luhnd) ]


Group of islands in the south Atlantic Ocean, located east of the Strait of Magellan off the coast of Argentina.

Notes for Falkland Islands

The islands, under British rule, were seized by Argentina in 1982, but were retaken by Britain.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.