Mogadishu

American

[maw-gah-dee-shoo] / ˌmɔ gɑˈdi ʃu /

noun

a seaport in and the capital of Somalia, in the S part.

Mogadishu British

/ ˌmɒɡəˈdɪʃuː /

noun

Local spelling: Muqdisho. Italian name: Mogadiscio. the capital and chief port of Somalia, on the Indian Ocean: founded by Arabs around the 10th century; taken by the Sultan of Zanzibar in 1871 and sold to Italy in 1905. Pop: 1 257 000 (2005 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

Usage

Where is Mogadishu? Mogadishu is the capital of the African country of Somalia, which has been besieged by a civil war since 1991.

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.

Artan was greeted by more than 100 cheering supporters at the Mogadishu airport on Wednesday morning, with fans draping him in the country’s flag.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Artan is expected to attend a public event at Mogadishu Stadium later on Wednesday afternoon and watch a match between Heegan and Dekadaha.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

At the time Ali lived in Huriwaa, an impoverished district in the north of Mogadishu.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

The opposition and regional leaders have rejected the move and demonstrations against it were due to take place in Mogadishu on Thursday.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Discussions regarding the establishment of a new government in Mogadishu are ongoing in Kenya.

From The 2005 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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