Penang

American  

[pi-nang, -nahng, pee-nahng] / pɪˈnæŋ, -ˈnɑŋ, ˈpiˈnɑŋ /

noun

1. an island in SE Asia, off the W coast of the Malay Peninsula. 110 sq. mi. (285 sq. km).

2. a state including this island and parts of the adjacent mainland: now part of Malaysia; formerly one of the Straits Settlements and part of the former Federation of Malaya. 400 sq. mi. (1,036 sq. km). Georgetown.

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Penang British  

/ pɪˈnæŋ /

noun

1. Also called: Pulau Pinang.  a state of Peninsular Malaysia: consists of the island of Penang and the province Wellesley on the mainland, which first united administratively in 1798 as a British colony. Capital: George Town. Pop: 1 313 449 (2000). Area: 1030 sq km (398 sq miles)

2. Former name (until about 1867): Prince of Wales Island.  a forested island off the NW coast of Malaya, in the Strait of Malacca. Area: 293 sq km (113 sq miles)

3. another name for George Town

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Penang

Likely priorities include rail infrastructure projects in Penang and Johor, flood-mitigation and water infrastructure, as well as AI, data centers and semiconductor manufacturing incentives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

For a factory owner in Penang or Ho Chi Minh City, this could mean ripping up decades-old supplier relationships—or losing access to the American market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

For the world’s best Malaysian food, do yourself a favor and book a flight to Georgetown, Penang.

From Salon ● Nov. 15, 2025

They have based themselves on the Malaysian island of Penang for the last few months, where their daughters, who are home schooled by Tamira, are "thriving".

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2025

I’ve seen them running amuck in Singapore and Penang before now, but never yet on this side of the big pond.

From Bert Wilson, Wireless Operator by J. W. Duffield