Constantinople

American  

[kon-stan-tn-oh-puhl] / ˌkɒn stæn tnˈoʊ pəl /

noun

1. former name of Istanbul.

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Constantinople British  

/ ˌkɒnstæntɪˈnəʊpəl /

noun

1. the former name (330–1926) of Istanbul

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Constantinople Cultural  

1. A city founded by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great as capital of the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Constantine ruled over both parts of the empire from Constantinople, which was later capital of the Byzantine Empire. Constantinople was conquered by Turkish forces in the fifteenth century.

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Today, under the name of Istanbul, Constantinople is the largest city in Turkey.

Example Sentences

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Constantinople

The fall of Constantinople, Hannah Arendt’s courageous life, Paul Simon’s African inspiration and more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Sensing opportunity, Mehmed II, the Ottoman sultan, arrived at the walls of Constantinople on April 5.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

He had only recently come to the throne and had turned 21 shortly before the siege of Constantinople began.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

The Gallipoli campaign, part of a British-led effort to defeat the Ottoman Empire, aimed to secure a naval route through the Dardanelles from the Mediterranean Sea to Constantinople, now Istanbul, in Turkey.

From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026

She wonders if Lainie Burgess felt a similar frustration over two different cups of tea in Constantinople.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern