Sabah

American  

[sah-bah] / ˈsɑ bɑ /

noun

1. a state in Malaysia, on the northern tip of Borneo: formerly a British crown colony. 29,347 sq. mi. (76,008 sq. km). Kota Kinabalu.

---

Sabah British  

/ ˈsɑːbɑː /

noun

1. Former name (until 1963): North Borneo.  a state of Malaysia, occupying N Borneo and offshore islands in the South China and Sulu Seas: became a British protectorate in 1888; gained independence and joined Malaysia in 1963. Capital: Kota Kinabalu. Pop: 2 603 485 (2000). Area: 73 620 sq km (28 425 sq miles)

---

Example Sentences

Urea sales should also recover following Sabah plant’s turnaround, though weaker polyethylene prices and new capacity additions in China will continue to pressure the olefins and derivatives division, keeping 2026 outlook challenging, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Dr Sabah Usmani, 44, and her five children - Hira, 12; Sohaib, 11; Muneeb, nine; Rayyan, six; and Maheen, three - died following the fire at their home in Harlow, Essex.

From BBC • May 21, 2025

Again, there’s a famous song inspired by the story that’s been sung by many of the great Arab singers, such as Fairouz and Sabah.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2024

That, as well as other Gulf Arab nations putting younger and more assertive rulers in power, has increasingly put more pressure on the Al Sabah to pass power onto the next generation.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2023

Thirty-four years had now elapsed since the acquisition of Alamoot, and the first establishment of the power of Hassan Sabah.

From Secret Societies of the Middle Ages by Keightley, Thomas