Moldova

American  

[mawl-doh-vuh] / mɔlˈdoʊ və /

noun

1. Formerly Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic,.  Formerly Moldavia.  a republic in southeastern Europe: formed in 1940 from the former republic of Moldavia and the ceded Romanian territory of Bessarabia. 13,100 sq. mi. (33,929 sq. km). Kishinev.

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Moldova British  

/ mɒlˈdəʊvə /

noun

1. Also called: Moldavia.  a republic in SE Europe: comprising the E part of the former principality of Moldavia, the E part of which (Bessarabia) was ceded to the Soviet Union in 1940 and formed the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic until it gained independence in 1991; an agricultural region with many vineyards. Official language: Romanian. Religion: nonreligious and Christian. Currency: leu. Capital: Chişinǎu (Kishinev). Pop: 3 619 925 (2013 est). Area: 33 670 sq km (13 000 sq miles)

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Moldova Cultural  

1. Republic in eastern Europe, bordered by Ukraine to the north and east, the Black Sea to the south, and Romania to the west. Its capital and largest city is Kishinev.

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Discover More

The Soviet Union took Moldova from Romania in 1940; most of its people speak Romanian.

This former member of the Soviet Union declared its independence in 1991.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Moldovan
  adjective

Example Sentences

Since the war began, both Ukraine and Moldova have joined the queue of countries seeking accession alongside Balkan hopefuls: Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Moldova opens the show at 1900 GMT, returning to Eurovision after missing last year's event.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Belarus released a prominent ethnic-Polish journalist, Andrzej Poczobut, along with a Roman Catholic monk and a third unnamed person with ties to Poland, in addition to two alleged intelligence agents from Moldova.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

But by 2019 he was facing corruption charges and fled Moldova after his Democratic Party was ousted from power.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the   first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in   2001.

From The 2003 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency