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

Footage shows the moment a wild elephant attacked a bus carrying air force personnel in Sri Lanka.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

None of the sovereign defaults over the past decade—among them Argentina, Ecuador, Ghana, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Venezuela—would have been averted by a debt pause.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

Some, such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, took steps to curb demand for oil with fuel rationing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026

The term can include people with roots in dozens of countries from Sri Lanka to China’s border with Russia to Pacific islands, with completely different exposure patterns and cuisines.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

On this map, however, India was called Malabar, and the island, which I knew to be Sri Lanka, was overlaid with slinky script that read Land of Serendip.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs