Sri Lanka

American  

[sree lahng-kuh, lang-kuh, shree] / ˌsri ˈlɑŋ kə, ˈlæŋ kə, ˌʃri /

noun

1. an island republic in the Indian Ocean, south of India: a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 25,332 sq. mi. (65,610 sq. km). Colombo.

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Sri Lanka British  

/ ˌsriː ˈlæŋkə /

noun

1. Official name (since 1978): Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.  Former name (until 1972): Ceylon.  a republic in S Asia, occupying the island of Ceylon: settled by the Sinhalese from S India in about 550 _bc ; became a British colony 1802; gained independence in 1948, becoming a republic within the Commonwealth in 1972. Exports include tea, cocoa, cinnamon, and copra. Official languages: Sinhalese and Tamil; English is also widely spoken. Religion: Hinayana Buddhist majority. Currency: Sri Lanka rupee. Capital: Colombo (administrative), Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative). Parts of the coast suffered badly in the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. Pop: 21 675 648 (2013 est). Area: 65 610 sq km (25 332 sq miles)

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Sri Lanka Cultural  

1. Formerly Ceylon, now an island republic in the Indian Ocean just southeast of India.

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Marked by hostility between its Buddhist Sinhalese majority and Hindu Tamil minority (see Buddhism and Hinduism).

A British colony since 1796, the island became independent in 1948.

Other Word Forms

• Sri Lankan adjective

Example Sentences

An IMF delegation is currently in Sri Lanka to review its four-year $2.9 billion bailout loan before releasing a $700 million instalment.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

"Sri Lanka was just coming out of another disaster -- Cyclone Ditwah -- and the government imposed a state of emergency to deal with that."

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

Sri Lanka has instituted a four-day workweek for state institutions and schools.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Officials in Vietnam, Thailand and Sri Lanka have already encouraged remote work.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

If Andhra Pradesh, just north of us, was alien, if Sri Lanka, a monkey’s hop across a strait, was the dark side of the moon, imagine what Canada was.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel