Oran

American

[aw-ran, oh-ran, aw-rahn] / ɔˈræn, oʊˈræn, ɔˈrɑ̃ /

noun

a seaport in NW Algeria.

Oran British

/ əˈræn, ɔrɑ̃, əˈrɑːn /

noun

a port in NW Algeria: the second largest city in the country; scene of the destruction by the British of most of the French fleet in the harbour in 1940 to prevent its capture by the Germans. Pop: 744 000 (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.

“I don’t think we ever stepped off the roller-coaster,” said Oran van Dort, an analyst at Rabobank.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

It was a predictable outcome in western port city Oran as the Desert Foxes are 163 places above the Ocean Stars in the world rankings.

From Barron's • Oct. 9, 2025

Camus’ The Plague is set in Oran, and with this connection in mind he christens his new series of unflinching depictions of massacre.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2025

A man was hospitalized with hypothermia Thursday after hiding on an Air Algerie flight from Oran, Algeria, to Paris Orly Airport.

From Washington Times • Dec. 30, 2023

Milo was not only the Vice-Shah of Oran, as it turned out, but also the Caliph of Baghdad, the Imam of Damascus, and the Sheik of Araby.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

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