Helsinki

American  

[hel-sing-kee, hel-sing-] / ˈhɛl sɪŋ ki, hɛlˈsɪŋ- /

noun

1. a seaport in and the capital of Finland, on the S coast.

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Helsinki British  

/ hɛlˈsɪŋ-, ˈhɛlsɪŋkɪ /

noun

1. Swedish name: Helsingfors.  the capital of Finland, a port in the south on the Gulf of Finland: founded by Gustavus I of Sweden in 1550; replaced Turku as capital in 1812, while under Russian rule; university. Pop: 559 330 (2003 est)

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Helsinki Cultural  

1. Capital of Finland and largest city in the country; located in southern Finland on the Gulf of Finland; one of the nation's chief ports, as well as its commercial and cultural center.

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Discover More

Helsinki is the site of many international conferences.

The Helsinki Accords were signed in 1975; their goal was to increase cooperation between eastern and western Europe in hopes of reducing tensions resulting from World War II and the cold war.

Example Sentences

"When something happens I will be told what to do," he says over a cup of coffee in a café in Helsinki.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

A team of researchers at the University of Helsinki has uncovered a previously unknown interaction inside plant cells.

From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026

She saw it for the first time in 2019 at a Helsinki cinema, in a global broadcast of a production by the Met.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

“China’s visual models have been very, very competitive,” said Steve Long, a videogame developer in Helsinki who has participated in beta-testing programs for Google and ByteDance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

That morning, when they were leaving Helsinki, he had lined up the plane on the wrong runway—and his first officer had quickly pointed out the error.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell