Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Mombasa

American  
[mom-bah-sah, -bas-uh] / mɒmˈbɑ sɑ, -ˈbæs ə /

noun

  1. an island in S Kenya.

  2. a seaport on this island.


Mombasa British  
/ mɒmˈbæsə /

noun

  1. a port in S Kenya, on a coral island in a bay of the Indian Ocean: the chief port for Kenya, Uganda, and NE Tanzania; became British in 1887, capital of the East African Protectorate until 1907. Pop: 828 000 (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

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.

The "Mombasa Declaration", unveiled at the Our Ocean Conference in the Kenyan port city, commits countries to improved collection and sharing of information on the movement, activity, and ownership of fishing vessels.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

"Cargo takes an average of 80 hours to move from Mombasa to Malaba and more than 100 hours to reach Kampala," the Ugandan capital, Ruto said.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

Ruto commissioned Aziz's Taifa Gas plant in the coastal city of Mombasa in 2023, calling him a "resilient investor" who overcame five years of government delays to get the deal over the line.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Berbera still handles far fewer containers than nearby Djibouti or Mombasa, but port traffic was up 30 percent from 2023 to 2025, and recent diplomatic moves could lead to much more.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

They were visiting Mombasa, staying in a hotel by the sea, when Peter developed red eyes.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "Mombasa" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com