Kinshasa

American  

[kin-shah-suh, kin-shah-suh] / kɪnˈʃɑ sə, ˈkɪn ʃɑ sə /

noun

1. a port in and capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the northwestern part, on the Congo (Zaire) River.

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Kinshasa British  

/ -ˈʃɑːsə, kɪnˈʃɑːzə /

noun

1. Former name (until 1966): Léopoldville.  the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaïre), on the River Congo opposite Brazzaville: became capital of the Belgian Congo in 1929 and of Zaïre in 1960; university (1954). Pop: 5 717 000 (2005 est)

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Example Sentences

The government in Kinshasa has stressed that their stay in the country is only temporary and that Washington is funding "their reception, support and care".

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The Ministry of Communication said a temporary reception system had been set up, while facilities to accommodate arrivals had been selected in the capital, Kinshasa.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Noella Amisi, a nurse in Goma, rushed out for baby formula, sugar and other groceries as soon as she received a $30 mobile-money transfer from her husband in government-held Kinshasa, Congo’s capital city.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

Mukwege, a frequent critic of the government in Kinshasa, argued that the DRC needs a "national dialogue" to resolve the corruption-riddled country's "governance problem".

From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026

Kinshasa has ten million people but only two paved roads and no traffic lights, so the routes are too crowded to get anywhere fast.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer