Peru

American  

[puh-roo] / pəˈru /

noun

1. Spanish Perú.  a republic in western South America. 496,222 sq. mi. (1,285,215 sq. km). Lima.

2. a city in north-central Indiana.

3. a city in northern Illinois.

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Peru British  

/ pəˈruː /

noun

1. a republic in W South America, on the Pacific: the centre of the great Inca Empire when conquered by the Spanish in 1532; gained independence in 1824 by defeating Spanish forces with armies led by San Martín and Bolívar; consists of a coastal desert, rising to the Andes; an important exporter of minerals and a major fishing nation. Official languages: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Official religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: nuevo sol. Capital: Lima. Pop: 29 849 303 (2013 est). Area: 1 285 215 sq km (496 222 sq miles)

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Peru Cultural  

1. Republic in western South America, bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, Ecuador to the northwest, Colombia to the northeast, Brazil and Bolivia to the east, and Chile to the south. Its capital and largest city is Lima.

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Discover More

Peru was the heart of the Inca Empire, which flourished from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. The remains of the empire include the fabled stone fortress of Machu Picchu.

Achieved independence from Spain in 1821.

Other Word Forms

• Peruvian
  adjective
• non-Peruvian
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Peru

Indigenous people in Peru today carry more copies of a gene involved in starch digestion than any other known population.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

Indigenous people living in Peru today carry an average of 10 AMY1 copies, approximately two to four more copies than any of the other 83 populations examined in the study.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

Peruvian Foreign Minister Carlos Espá told local media outlet RPP that Chávez had been granted safe passage and had "already left Peru".

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

Matt Burnham did a double take when he and his family got upgraded on a United flight to Peru and saw what was being served in business class.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Pizarro’s ship easily ran down and captured such a raft on his first voyage toward Peru.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond