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Rio de Janeiro

American  
[ree-oh dey zhuh-nair-oh, -neer-oh, juh-, dee, duh, ree-oo di zhi-ney-roo] / ˈri oʊ deɪ ʒəˈnɛər oʊ, -ˈnɪər oʊ, dʒə-, di, də, ˈri ʊ dɪ ʒɪˈneɪ rʊ /

noun

  1. a seaport in SE Brazil: former capital.


Rio de Janeiro British  
/ ˈriːəʊ də dʒəˈnɪərəʊ /

noun

  1. a port in SE Brazil, on Guanabara Bay: the country's chief port and its capital from 1763 to 1960; backed by mountains, notably Sugar Loaf Mountain; founded by the French in 1555 and taken by the Portuguese in 1567. Pop: 11 469 000 (2005 est)

  2. a state of E Brazil. Capital: Rio de Janeiro. Pop: 14 724 475 (2002). Area: 42 911 sq km (16 568 sq miles)

"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

Rio de Janeiro Cultural  
  1. City in southeastern Brazil on the Atlantic Ocean. Second-largest city in Brazil, after São Paulo; its former capital; and its financial, commercial, transportation, and cultural center.


Discover More

Rio is famous as a tourist attraction. Especially popular are its beaches, particularly the Copacabana.

Rio's annual carnival is world-famous.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In Rio de Janeiro, municipal workers this week covered up billboards with the message: "Betting ad REMOVED."

From Barron's Jul. 17, 2026

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said earlier that there were "foreign nationals on board one of the aircraft," without giving further details.

From Barron's Jun. 14, 2026

The mid-air collision occurred in Rio de Janeiro, with one of the helicopters landing in the parking lot of a car dealership, the AP reports.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 14, 2026

"Women's salt-adding behavior, however, was associated with a wider range of social and dietary characteristics than men's," added co-author Dr. Débora Santos, a titular professor at Rio de Janeiro State University.

From Science Daily Jun. 4, 2026

My family taking in the sights during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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