Sulawesi

American

[soo-lah-wey-see] / ˌsu lɑˈweɪ si /

noun

an island in central Indonesia. 72,986 sq. mi. (189,034 sq. km).

Sulawesi British

/ ˌsuːləˈweɪsɪ /

noun

Also called: Celebes. an island in E Indonesia: mountainous and forested, with volcanoes and hot springs. Pop: 14 946 488 (2000). Area (including adjacent islands): 229 108 sq km (88 440 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Indonesia's national disaster agency, meanwhile, instructed officials in the North Sulawesi capital, Manado, northern Gorontalo province and the Sangihe islands "to immediately direct their residents to evacuate in an orderly manner to higher ground".

From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026

It is significantly older than another Sulawesi painting identified by the same team in 2024.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

One is a northern route through Sulawesi and the 'Spice Islands' toward New Guinea.

From Science Daily • Mar. 22, 2026

The ship's latest mission focuses on a seamount chain off Indonesia's Sulawesi island that scientists on board mapped last year.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

A stencilled outline of a hand found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi is the world's oldest known cave painting, researchers say.

From BBC • Jan. 21, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023