Prussia

[ pruhsh-uh ]

/ ˈprʌʃ ə /

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noun

a former state in N Europe: became a military power in the 18th century and in 1871 led the formation of the German empire; formally abolished as an administrative unit in 1947.

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German Preussen.

Compare East Prussia, West Prussia.

Words nearby Prussia

prurigo, pruritus, Prus., prusik, Prusiner, Prussia, Prussian, Prussian blue, Prussianism, prussianize, prussiate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Prussia in a sentence

One was the 1847 typhus epidemic in Prussia, which he battled helplessly.
Five Scientists on the Heroes Who Changed Their Lives - Issue 93: Forerunners|Alan Lightman, Hope Jahren, Robert Sapolsky,|December 2, 2020|Nautilus
Incidentally, one of the heroes of that book is Frederick the Great of Prussia, who was almost certainly gay.
Niall Ferguson Responds to the Blogospherse|David Frum|May 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But once Austria was disposed of, Prussia and Russia met their punishment for having given her secret or open aid.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
By the beginning of November the theatre of war was virtually transferred from Prussia to Poland.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

The troops invading France were palpably no more than the advanced guards of Prussia and Austria.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
His duties were to enforce the continental system and to keep a stern eye on Prussia.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
The tobacco plant has been cultivated in some parts of Prussia for nearly two centuries.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.

British Dictionary definitions for Prussia

Prussia

/ (ˈprʌʃə) /

noun

a former German state in N and central Germany, extending from France and the Low Countries to the Baltic Sea and Poland: developed as the chief military power of the Continent, leading the North German Confederation from 1867–71, when the German Empire was established; dissolved in 1947 and divided between East and West Germany, Poland, and the former Soviet Union. Area: (in 1939) 294 081 sq km (113 545 sq miles)German name: Preussen

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

Cultural definitions for Prussia

Prussia

Former state in north-central Germany. At the height of its power, Prussia occupied more than half of present-day Germany, stretching from The Netherlands and Belgium in the west to Lithuania in the east.

notes for Prussia

During the eighteenth century, Prussia established its independence from Poland, built up a strong army, and undertook a successful conquest of north-central Europe.

notes for Prussia

In the nineteenth century, Prussia led the economic and political unification of the German states, establishing itself as the largest and most influential of these states, with Berlin as the capital of the German Empire.

notes for Prussia

After Germany's defeat in World War II, Prussia was abolished as a state, and its territory was divided among East Germany, West Germany, the Soviet Union, and Poland.

notes for Prussia

Prussians are often depicted as authoritarian, militaristic, and extremely orderly, a characterization based on the unswerving obedience of their army.