Krio

American

[kree-oh] / ˈkri oʊ /

noun

an English-based creole of Sierra Leone, a first language of the residents of Freetown and its environs, and a lingua franca elsewhere in the country.

Krio British

/ ˈkriːəʊ /

noun

the English-based creole widely used as a lingua franca in Sierra Leone. Its principal language of admixture is Yoruba
a native speaker of Krio
(modifier) of or relating to the Krio language or Krios

Krio poetry

"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

Etymology

Origin of Krio

alteration of _creole

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.

English is his third language after Krio and Mende—all of which are spoken in his native Sierra Leone.

From Slate • Mar. 26, 2025

The Krio people of Sierra Leone are partly descended from former enslaved Africans who fought for their British in the American War of Independence, in exchange for promises of freedom.

From BBC • Oct. 4, 2019

“Even yesterday she was saying she wants to go to school and is going to need a motorbike,” her mother said in the local Krio language as she bounced her infant son on her lap.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 8, 2019

"Even yesterday she was saying she wants to go to school and is going to need a motorbike," her mother said in the local Krio language as she bounced her infant son on her lap.

From Fox News • Jun. 8, 2019

Andrew Jah began to ask the same question in Mende, but I interrupted him in Krio, saying, “I speak Krio, Mende, Temne, Limba, and Arabic.”

From "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" by Michaela DePrince

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