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

See Examples For:

Puerto Rico

Colon, who was born in Florida but moved to Puerto Rico aged 10, showed great promise as a teenager and won national titles in two weight divisions.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

Díaz came up with the title after visiting his cousin Chef Tino’s restaurant in Isabela, Puerto Rico, where he observed his cousin create a similarly bespoke experience in his kitchen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Most of Puerto Rico is facing moderate to severe drought conditions, according to the US Drought Monitor, which has been compounded by long-term issues with the island's infrastructure.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Puerto Rico has begun rationing water across the island amid a drought, leaving some residents without supply for 48 hours at a time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

I knew my mom met my dad in Puerto Rico, but I never knew she spoke so much Spanish.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya