India

[ in-dee-uh ]

/ ˈɪn di ə /

Save This Word!

noun

Hindi Bha·rat

[buh-ruht]. /ˈbʌ rʌt/. Official name Re·pub·lic of In·di·a

[ri-puhb-likuhv in-dee-uh] /rɪˈpʌb lɪk əv ˈɪn di ə/ . a republic in South Asia comprising 28 states and 8 union territories: formerly a British colony that gained independence 1947, becoming a parliamentary republic within the Commonwealth of Nations 1950. 1,269,219 square miles (3,287,263 square kilometers). Capital: New Delhi.

Indian subcontinent.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of India

First recorded before 1000; from Latin, from Greek Indía, equivalent to Ind(ós) “the Indus river” (from Old Persian Hindu, literally, “the river”; cognate with Sanskrit sindhu ) + -ia -ia

Words nearby India

Index of Industrial Production, index of refraction, index patient, index plate, index set, India, India chintz, India ink, Indiaman, Indian, Indiana

Other definitions for India (2 of 2)

India²

[ in-dee-uh ]

/ ˈɪn di ə /

noun

a word used in communications to represent the letter I.

Origin of India

First recorded in 1950–55

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use India in a sentence

Household incomes in rural and urban India had begun to shrink from September 2019 owing to an ongoing economic slowdown.
Indian household incomes still haven’t recovered from the Covid-19 shock|Manavi Kapur|February 26, 2021|Quartz
After six weeks of beginning its Covid-19 vaccination drive for healthcare and frontline workers, India is all set to expand it to include the general population.
India opens up its vaccination drive for the elderly and vulnerable groups|Manavi Kapur|February 25, 2021|Quartz
Byju’s, a learning app and the second most valuable startup in India, saw its user figures soar by a third, to nearly 70 million, when it offered its app for free following nationwide school closures in March of last year.
Some parts of remote living are here to stay|Katie McLean|February 24, 2021|MIT Technology Review
The Karves, who are both originally from India, began supporting D-Lab because it treats education and problem solving as vital components of social mobility.
Shashank, OE ’81, and Medha Karve|Katie McLean|February 24, 2021|MIT Technology Review

While India is mostly a riparian country and several rivers and streams crisscross its surface, it’s still unusual for anyone but fishermen to own boats.
When a Body Meets a Boatman on the Ganges|Eugene Robinson|February 23, 2021|Ozy
But a 2011 study of genetic evidence from 30 ethnic groups in India disproved this theory.
The Himalayas’ Hidden Aryans|Nina Strochlic|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Are the Brogpas of Kashmir in India really the last bastion of purebred Aryans?
The Himalayas’ Hidden Aryans|Nina Strochlic|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She has had clients from all over the world, including Ireland and India, who are drawn to her via word of mouth and her website.
Inside A Finishing School for Transwomen|Sharon Adarlo|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When he is awarded Player of the Match while competing for India in England, he is given champagne at the ceremony.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player|William O’Connor|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Archrival India has money to throw around, and Iran and Russia are also exerting influence in the region.
Pakistan’s Dance With Terrorists Just Backfired and Killed 132 Children|Chris Allbritton|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Perhaps you do not speak my language,” she said in Urdu, the tongue most frequently heard in Upper India.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
Greenlaw (Charles P.), his efforts in obtaining steam for India, 560.
Notes and Queries, Index to Eighth Volume, July-December 1853|Various
Henry Hudson sailed from Gravesend on his first voyage for the discovery of a northwest passage to India.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
In the next year his mother returned to India with both her children, and the boy's next two years were spent at and near Bombay.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
They threw down their weapons with sullen obedience and the first great step towards the re-conquest of India was taken.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for India

India

/ (ˈɪndɪə) /

noun

a republic in S Asia: history dates from the Indus Valley civilization (3rd millennium bc); came under British supremacy in 1763 and passed to the British Crown in 1858; nationalist movement arose under Gandhi (1869–1948); Indian subcontinent divided into Pakistan (Muslim) and India (Hindu) in 1947; became a republic within the Commonwealth in 1950. It consists chiefly of the Himalayas, rising over 7500 m (25 000 ft) in the extreme north, the Ganges plain in the north, the Thar Desert in the northwest, the Chota Nagpur plateau in the northeast, and the Deccan Plateau in the south. Official and administrative languages: Hindi and English; each state has its own language. Parts of the SE coast suffered badly in the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. Religion: Hindu majority, Muslim minority. Currency: rupee. Capital: New Delhi. Pop: 1 220 800 359 (2013 est). Area: 3 268 100 sq km (1 261 813 sq miles)Hindi name: Bharat

communications a code word for the letter i

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 India

India

Republic in southern Asia. Its capital is New Delhi, and its largest city is Calcutta.

notes for India

India is the second most populous country in the world, after China.

notes for India

British control of India began in 1757 and did not end until the dissolution of the British regime, or Raj, in 1947, when India was divided into India and Pakistan.

notes for India

Mahatma Gandhi led the movement for Indian independence through passive resistance to British rule. He was killed by a fanatic in 1948.

notes for India

The country is marked by conflict between the Hindu and Muslim populations and violence between castes.

notes for India

Despite world disapproval, in 1998 India successfully conducted nuclear bomb tests. Pakistan did the same two weeks later. (See Kashmir.)