Singapore
Americannoun
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an island on the Strait of Singapore, off the S tip of the Malay Peninsula.
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an independent republic comprising this island and a few adjacent islets: member of the Commonwealth of Nations; formerly a British crown colony (1946–59) and member of the federation of Malaysia (1963–65). 220 sq. mi. (570 sq. km). Singapore.
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a seaport in and the capital of this republic.
noun
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a republic in SE Asia, occupying one main island and over 50 small islands at the S end of the Malay Peninsula: established as a British trading post in 1819 and became part of the Straits Settlements in 1826; occupied by the Japanese (1942–45); a British colony from 1946, becoming self-governing in 1959; part of the Federation of Malaysia from 1963 to 1965, when it became an independent republic (within the Commonwealth). Official languages: Chinese, Malay, English, and Tamil. Religion: Buddhist, Taoist, traditional beliefs, and Muslim. Currency: Singapore dollar. Capital: Singapore. Pop: 5 460 302 (2013 est). Area: now over 700 sq km (270 sq miles), increased in recent years as a result of land reclamation schemes
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the capital of the republic of Singapore: a major international port; administratively not treated as a city
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It is one of the world's biggest and busiest ports.
Though only 225 square miles in size, it is a major economic power in Asia.
A British colony from 1946 to 1959, Singapore then became independent.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
HMI was taken private and delisted from the Singapore Exchange in 2019 following an acquisition led by EQT and continues to operate as a private healthcare provider across Southeast Asia.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
It claims to have a far-flung network of oil storage terminals in places like the Netherlands and Singapore, more than 850 employees and a C-suite of experienced energy executives.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
If it were true, he quipped, a small country like Singapore would have been swallowed by its neighbors a long time ago.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
Tokyo and Taipei were also well down, with Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Wellington also down.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
Ben swore he had talked to a guy he used to work with in Singapore, who had his finger on the pulse in Thailand.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.