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Melilla

American  
[mey-leel-yah] / meɪˈlil jɑ /

noun

  1. a seaport belonging to Spain on the NE coast of Morocco, in NW Africa.


Melilla British  
/ melija /

noun

  1. the chief town of a Spanish enclave in Morocco, on the Mediterranean coast: founded by the Phoenicians; exports iron ore. Pop: 68 463 (2003 est)

"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

Example Sentences

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Just east of Tangier, the massive Gourougou forest has become a base for thousands of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa seeking to enter the nearby Spanish enclave of Melilla illegally.

From Barron's Dec. 17, 2025

The present-day tension between the two nations is most clear in the twin coastal towns of Ceuta and Melilla.

From BBC Nov. 15, 2023

“The lessons of Melilla must be learned or – as the shipwreck off the Greek coast shows – arbitrary loss of life, violence and impunity at borders will continue,” Callamard added.

From Reuters Jun. 23, 2023

One of the sites he visits is the series of razor-wire fences that separates the Spanish exclave of Melilla from surrounding Morocco.

From Washington Post Mar. 16, 2023

Ceuta and Melilla alone are worthy of consideration, and the former is the only one it might ever pay to fortify.

From Life in Morocco and Glimpses Beyond by Meakin, Budgett

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