North Rhine-Westphalia

American  

[rahyn-west-fey-lee-uh, -feyl-yuh] / ˈraɪn wɛstˈfeɪ li ə, -ˈfeɪl yə /

noun

1. a state in W Germany; formerly a part of Rhine province. 13,154 sq. mi. (34,070 sq. km). Düsseldorf.

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North Rhine-Westphalia British  

noun

1. German name: Nordrhein-Westfalen.  a state of W Germany: formed in 1946 by the amalgamation of the Prussian province of Westphalia with the N part of the Prussian Rhine province and later with the state of Lippe; part of West Germany until 1990: highly industrialized. Capital: Düsseldorf. Pop: 18 080 000 (2003 est). Area: 34 039 sq km (13 142 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

Police Chief Tim Frommeyer said they were dealing with "one of the biggest criminal cases in the history of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia".

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

It is these cases of intentional evasion that North Rhine-Westphalia is targeting.

From Barron's • Oct. 9, 2025

Similar bone fragments have since been found in various different places around Europe, including Bonenburg in North Rhine-Westphalia and in the Provence region of France.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2024

The other four suspects were detained in different cities across North Rhine-Westphalia.

From Washington Times • Jan. 1, 2024

Around twice as many police officers as usual will be on the streets in the northern German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on 31 December.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2023