Uruguay

American  

[yoor-uh-gwey, -gwahy, oo-roo-gwahy] / ˈyʊər əˌgweɪ, -ˌgwaɪ, ˌu ruˈgwaɪ /

noun

1. a republic in southeastern South America. 72,172 sq. mi. (186,925 sq. km). Montevideo.

2. a river in southeastern South America, flowing from southern Brazil along the boundary of eastern Argentina into the Río de la Plata. 981 miles (1,580 km) long.

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Uruguay British  

/ ˈjʊərəˌɡwaɪ /

noun

1. a republic in South America, on the Atlantic: Spanish colonization began in 1624, followed by Portuguese settlement in 1680; revolted against Spanish rule in 1820 but was annexed by the Portuguese to Brazil; gained independence in 1825. It consists mainly of rolling grassy plains, low hills, and plateaus. Official language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: peso. Capital: Montevideo. Pop: 3 324 460 (2013 est). Area: 176 215 sq km (68 037 sq miles)

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Uruguay Cultural  

1. Republic on the east coast of South America, tucked between Brazil to the north and east and Argentina to the west. The capital and largest city is Montevideo.

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Discover More

It is a major producer of beef, leather, and wool.

Uruguay was under a repressive and violent military government from 1973 to 1985.

Other Word Forms

• Uruguayan
  adjective
• anti-Uruguayan
  adjective
• pro-Uruguayan
  adjective

Example Sentences

Perhaps the key moment was in March, when Foden was given the chance to stake his claim against Uruguay.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Two of the vessel's hantavirus victims -- a married Dutch couple -- had traveled extensively in Argentina for four months, with forays into Chile and Uruguay.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

He had spent the prior three months traveling through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, the World Health Organization said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

One scientist is from Transylvania, while another is from Uruguay, where a chivito is a popular sandwich.

From Science Daily • May 12, 2026

In the pampas of Argentina and Uruguay, the voyaging Charles Darwin discovered hundreds of square miles strangled by feral artichoke.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann