Malaya

American  

[muh-lay-uh] / məˈleɪ ə /

noun

1. Malay Peninsula.

2. Formerly Malayan Union, Malay States. Federation of Malaya. a former federation of 11 states in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula: a British protectorate 1948–57; now forms part of Malaysia. 50,690 sq. mi. (131,287 sq. km). Kuala Lumpur.

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Malaya British  

/ məˈleɪə /

noun

1. part of Malaysia, in the S Malay Peninsula, constituting Peninsular Malaysia: consists of the former Federated Malay States, the former Unfederated Malay States, and the former Straits Settlements. Capital: Kuala Lumpur. Pop: 17 144 322 (2000). Area: 131 587 sq km (50 806 sq miles)

2. a federation of the nine Malay States of the Malay Peninsula and two of the Straits Settlements (Malacca and Penang): formed in 1948: became part of the British Commonwealth in 1957 and joined Malaysia in 1963

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Malaya

"That hostility did not simply disappear afterwards," Khoo Ying Hooi, an associate professor at Universiti Malaya, told AFP.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

In 1926 Mr. Massie’s father, then 19, left his family’s farm in Aberdeenshire for British Malaya.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

When senior Malaya Galindez, 21, who aspires to be a physician and is majoring in health and human sciences, told her parents that she intended to minor in comedy, her father was surprised.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025

“They’re preventing us from getting into the lagoon,” Malaya said.

From Seattle Times ● May 20, 2024

The British were driven from Malaya and into surrender in Singapore in seventy days.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand

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