Torfaen

American

[tawr-vahyn, tawr-vahyn] / tɔrˈvaɪn, ˈtɔr vaɪn /

noun

a county in southeastern Wales. 49 sq. mi. (126 sq. km).

Torfaen British

/ ˈtɔːˌvæn /

noun

a county borough of SE Wales, created in 1996 from part of Gwent. Administrative centre: Pontypool. Pop: 90 700 (2003 est). Area: 290 sq km (112 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

Etymology

Origin of Torfaen

From Welsh Torfaen “Breaker of Stones,” the former name of the Afon Lwyd (Gray River), from tor “a break” + faen (mutated form of maen “stone”; dolmen ( def. ), menhir ( def. ) ); compare Welsh tormaen “saxifrage,” literally, “stone break”

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.

Those councils said alternatives were available upon request - at an extra cost to the council - but only Torfaen council said it explicitly provided alternatives in all of its primary schools.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Demi Edmunds, from Caldicot, Monmouthshire, died at the scene after emergency services were called to the A4042 in Cwmbran, Torfaen, on 12 February.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

A prominent Welsh international wheelchair rugby player for the Wigan Warriors wheelchair rugby league team and former Torfaen Tigers player, Mr Trigg-Turner was not at the hearing and was not represented.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2025

Torfaen county councillor David Daniels said Mr Silcox was a "lovely guy".

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2025

Emergency services were called to Henllys Way in St Dials, Cwmbran, Torfaen, at about 20:40 BST on Saturday.

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2025

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