Puerto Rico

American  

[pwer-tuh ree-koh, pwer-toh, pawr-tuh, pwer-taw ree-kaw] / ˈpwɛr tə ˈri koʊ, ˈpwɛr toʊ, ˈpɔr tə, ˈpwɛr tɔ ˈri kɔ /

noun

1. an island in the central West Indies: a commonwealth associated with the U.S. 3,435 sq. mi. (8,895 sq. km). San Juan. P.R., PR

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Puerto Rico British  

/ ˈpwɛə-, ˈpwɜːtəʊ ˈriːkəʊ /

noun

1. Former name (until 1932): Porto Rico.   PR.  an autonomous commonwealth (in association with the US) occupying the smallest and easternmost of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean: one of the most densely populated areas in the world; ceded by Spain to the US in 1899. Currency: US dollar. Capital: San Juan. Pop: 3 674 209 (2013 est). Area: 9104 sq km (3515 sq miles)

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Puerto Rico Cultural  

1. Island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Miami, Florida. Its capital and largest city is San Juan.

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Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States. Citizens of Puerto Rico are also American citizens but do not vote in federal elections and do not pay federal taxes on their local earnings.

Other Word Forms

• Puerto Rican adjective

Example Sentences

The 35-year-old is undefeated as a professional, with 10 wins under her belt - all in her home country of Puerto Rico.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Alyx was headed to Puerto Rico, along with many other travelers who were taking long-planned trips for spring break.

From Slate • Mar. 26, 2026

The self-storage company said Monday that the deal will expand its footprint, adding more than 1,000 properties, 69 million rentable square feet, and 550,000 units across 37 states and Puerto Rico.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Unable to participate in this year’s WBC as he recovers from left elbow surgery, Kiké Hernández left Dodgers camp to spend the first leg of the tournament with Team Puerto Rico.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

When I was a baby, we all went to Bayamón, Puerto Rico, for my grandmother's funeral.

From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson