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Java

American  
[jah-vuh, jav-uh] / ˈdʒɑ və, ˈdʒæv ə /

noun

  1. the main island of Indonesia. 51,032 sq. mi. (132,173 sq. km).

  2. (usually lowercase) coffee.

    a cup of java.
Trademark.

  1. Digital Technology. a brand name for a high-level, object-oriented programming language used primarily to build web-based applications.

Java 1 British  
/ ˈdʒɑːvə /

noun

  1. Former spelling: Djawa.  an island of Indonesia, south of Borneo, from which it is separated by the Java Sea : politically the most important island of Indonesia; it consists chiefly of active volcanic mountains and is densely forested. It came under Dutch control in 1596 and became part of Indonesia in 1949. It is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Capital: Jakarta. Pop (with Madura): 121 352 608 (2000 est). Area: 132 174 sq km (51 032 sq miles)

"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
Java 2 British  
/ ˈdʒɑːvə /

noun

  1. a programming language especially applicable to the Internet

"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
Java Cultural  

  1. Island in Indonesia, south of Borneo.

Discover More

Java is one of the world's most densely populated regions.

It was under Dutch rule from 1619 to 1949.

Etymology

Origin of Java

1550–60; of obscure origin; possibly from Sanskrit yāvadvīpa, yāvaka dvīpa “barley island” (the island was well known for the barley plant)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Thousands of Indonesian and Australian troops held joint drills in eastern Java months after the 2024 accord was signed.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

However, small UK family yacht building business Jeremy Rogers is sticking with teak for now – sourced from older government-managed plantations in Java that it is confident are authentic and harvested sustainably.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

At least seven people have died and more than 80 others are missing after a landslide hit Indonesia's West Java province, officials said.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026

The death toll from multiple landslides in Indonesia's Java island last week has risen to 30, as the search to find many still missing continues, a disaster official said.

From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025

The famous Java Homo erectus fossils prove that humans have occupied at least western Indonesia for a million years.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.