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Malta

American  
[mawl-tuh] / ˈmɔl tə /

noun

  1. an island in the Mediterranean between Sicily and Africa. 95 sq. mi. (246 sq. km).

  2. a former British colony consisting of this island and two small adjacent islands: now an independent sovereign state and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 122 sq. mi. (316 sq. km). Valletta.


Malta British  
/ ˈmɔːltə /

noun

  1. a republic occupying the islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino, in the Mediterranean south of Sicily: governed by the Knights Hospitallers from 1530 until Napoleon's conquest in 1798; French driven out, with British help, 1800; became British dependency 1814; suffered severely in World War II; became independent in 1964 and a republic in 1974; joined the EU in 2004; a member of the Commonwealth. Official languages: Maltese and English. Official religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: euro (from January 2008 replacing the Maltese lira). Capital: Valletta. Pop: 411 277 (2013 est). Area: 316 sq km (122 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

Malta Cultural  
  1. Republic in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily, made up of five small islands.


Discover More

Malta, strategically located, has belonged to a succession of civilizations, including the ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire. In 1800, the British established control of Malta, which, since its independence in 1964, has continued to maintain close ties with Britain.

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.

See Examples For:

But it was above all through her blog, Running Commentary, followed by some 400,000 readers on an island with half a million inhabitants, that she became known far beyond Malta.

From Barron's Sep. 3, 2026

The uncertainty ratchets up after Max heads to Malta, the small archipelago nation in the Mediterranean, to translate the work of an up-and-coming poet, and Leonie discovers that she’s pregnant.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 21, 2026

Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus and Malta have been “falling over themselves to attract the wealthy,” says Douglas McWilliams, founder of the London-based Centre for Economics and Business Research, which does economic forecasting.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 14, 2026

In Europe, the most popular residency programs, firms said, tend to be in Portugal and Malta.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 13, 2026

The drinks were ice-cold—Coke, Sprite, Fanta, and Malta.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

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