Singapore

American  

[sing-guh-pawr, -pohr, sing-uh-] / ˈsɪŋ gəˌpɔr, -ˌpoʊr, ˈsɪŋ ə- /

noun

1. an island on the Strait of Singapore, off the S tip of the Malay Peninsula.

2. 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.

3. a seaport in and the capital of this republic.

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Singapore British  

/ ˌsɪŋɡə-, ˌsɪŋəˈpɔː /

noun

1. 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

2. the capital of the republic of Singapore: a major international port; administratively not treated as a city

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Singapore Cultural  

1. An island republic in Southeast Asia at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula.

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Discover More

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.

Other Word Forms

• Singaporean noun

Example Sentences

Among other Asian markets open on Monday, Singapore gained 0.4 percent but Jakarta was down 0.5 percent.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Tested in Singapore in January, the system lets a copter crew launch a drone, control it from the cockpit and receive live footage to locate an area or a target without putting themselves at risk.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Earlier this week, Microsoft said it was on track to invest $5.5 billion in cloud and AI infrastructure in Singapore through 2029 as demand for AI computing continues to grow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

“Our ongoing investment in cloud and AI infrastructure reflects Microsoft’s long‑term confidence in Singapore as a global digital leader,” said Smith.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

We sailed from Madras across the Bay of Bengal, down through the Strait of Malacca, around Singapore and up to Manila.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel