San Salvador

American  

[san sal-vuh-dawr, sahn sahl-vah-thawr] / sæn ˈsæl vəˌdɔr, sɑn ˌsɑl vɑˈðɔr /

noun

1. Also called Watling Island.  an island in the E central Bahamas: long held to be the first land in the New World sighted by Christopher Columbus 1492. 60 sq. mi. (155 sq. km).

2. a city in and the capital of El Salvador.

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San Salvador British  

/ san salβaˈðɔr, sæn ˈsælvəˌdɔː /

noun

1. the capital of El Salvador, situated in the SW central part: became capital in 1841; ruined by earthquakes in 1854 and 1873; university (1841). Pop: 1 472 000 (2005 est)

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San Salvador Cultural  

1. Capital of El Salvador and the largest city in the country, located in central El Salvador.

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The city has suffered from recurrent and severe earthquakes.

Example Sentences

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San Salvador

Special correspondents in Quito, Ecuador, and San Salvador contributed to this report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

The hearing took place on the fourth day of the mass trial at the so-called Terrorism Confinement Center, southeast of San Salvador.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

I’d flown 35 hours to be here, playing Frogger with San Salvador traffic, dodging motorbikes, arms already open for a hug I’d been planning for years.

From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2026

In July, he made the decision to self-deport, purchasing his own ticket from San Francisco to San Salvador.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2025

This land was one of the Bahama Islands, called by the natives Guanahani, but christened by Columbus as San Salvador.

From Cuba Its Past, Present, and Future by Hall, Arthur D.