Netherlands

[neth-er-luhndz]

noun

1. (used with a singular or plural verb),  the, a kingdom in W Europe, bordering on the North Sea, Germany, and Belgium. 13,433 sq. mi. (34,790 sq. km). Capitals: Amsterdam and The Hague.

Netherlands

/ ˈnɛðələndz /

noun

1. Also called: Holland. Dutch name: Nederland. a kingdom in NW Europe, on the North Sea: declared independence from Spain in 1581 as the United Provinces; became a major maritime and commercial power in the 17th century, gaining many overseas possessions; formed the Benelux customs union with Belgium and Luxembourg in 1948 and was a founder member of the Common Market, now the European Union. It is mostly flat and low-lying, with about 40 per cent of the land being below sea level, much of it on polders protected by dykes. Official language: Dutch. Religion: Christian majority, Protestant and Roman Catholic, large nonreligious minority. Currency: euro. Capital: Amsterdam, with the seat of government at The Hague. Pop: 16 805 037 (2013 est). Area: 41 526 sq km (16 033 sq miles)

2. the kingdom of the Netherlands together with the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, esp as ruled by Spain and Austria before 1581; the Low Countries

Other Word Forms

• Netherlander noun
• Netherlandian adjective

Example Sentences

In terms of landmass, Niger is the largest state in Nigeria, and larger than European countries like Denmark and the Netherlands.

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Hundreds of psychiatric patients, including some minors, have requested and received physician-administered lethal injections, in Belgium and the Netherlands.

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The Netherlands suspended flights in Eindhoven Saturday after a drone sighting, and similar episodes have unfolded this month at airports in Sweden, Germany, Belgium and Denmark.

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There was his new superyacht, which drew public outcry in the Netherlands in the midst of concern a historic bridge was going to have to be dismantled to allow it to pass through.

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The unconventional new method had only been trialled on small-scale farms in places like the Netherlands.

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