Spain

American  

[speyn] / speɪn /

noun

1. a kingdom in SW Europe. Including the Balearic and Canary islands, 194,988 sq. mi. (505,019 sq. km). Madrid.

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Spain British  

/ speɪn /

noun

1. Spanish name: España.  a kingdom of SW Europe, occupying the Iberian peninsula between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic: a leading European power in the 16th century, with many overseas possessions, esp in the New World; became a republic in 1931; under the fascist dictatorship of Franco following the Civil War (1936–39) until his death in 1975; a member of the European Union. It consists chiefly of a central plateau (the Meseta), with the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains in the north and the Sierra Nevada in the south. Official language: Castilian Spanish, with Catalan, Galician, and Basque official regional languages. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Madrid. Pop: 47 370 542 (2013 est). Area: 504 748 sq km (194 883 sq miles)

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Spain Cultural  

1. Constitutional monarchy in southwestern Europe, consisting of the Spanish mainland (bordered to the northwest by France and to the west by Portugal), the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Madrid.

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Spain Idioms  

1. see castles in the air (Spain).

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Discover More

During the sixteenth century, Spain was the greatest world power. Its success was based partially on the riches it acquired in the New World (see Latin America and South America).

In the Spanish-American War, the United States defeated Spain, freed Cuba from Spanish colonial rule, and seized a number of former Spanish colonies, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

The Spanish monarchy was fully restored in 1975 after Franco's death. He had been dictator (see dictatorship) for thirty-six years.

Under King Juan Carlos, Spain has established a political democracy and has been integrated into the European community.

Bullfighting is a popular spectator sport in Spain.

The destruction of the Spanish Armada, a fleet sent to conquer England in 1588, marked the beginning of the decline of Spanish power.

Basque separatists have carried out many acts of terrorism against Spain.

In the Spanish Civil War, conservatives led by General Francisco Franco overthrew the second Spanish Republic.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pro-Spain
  adjective
• anti-Spain
  adjective

Example Sentences

The 20-year-old and Diego Forlan of Uruguay scored a goal apiece in the third-place play-off to tie David Villa of Spain and the Netherlands' Wesley Sneijder on five.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Curacao, the smallest country to qualify for a World Cup, will play its first game against Germany, a four-time champion, while Cape Verde will open against Spain, the reigning European champion.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

While inflation in France, Italy and Spain picked up in May, it declined in the eurozone’s largest economy, Germany, mainly on the back of a fuel-tax cut introduced at the start of the month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

But others in the bloc, including France and Spain, have questioned their effectiveness.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

"No," I said, "I like this town and I go to Spain in the summer-time."

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway