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Melilla

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

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

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

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

Only the Canary Islands, the Balearics and Ceuta and Melilla on the North African coast were unaffected.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2025

“One year on from the carnage at Melilla, Spanish and Moroccan authorities not only continue to deny any responsibility but are preventing attempts to find the truth,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnes Callamard.

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

Along this coast, particularly from Tetuan to Melilla, there are several coves, in which the Spanish gunboats, and other small armed vessels, find shelter in cases of necessity.

From Travels through the Empire of Morocco by Buffa, John

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