Uruguay

American

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

noun

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

Uruguay British

/ ˈjʊərəˌɡwaɪ /

noun

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)

"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

Uruguay Cultural

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

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

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Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

Uruguay

Deteriorating conditions are driving thousands of young people to emigrate to Brazil and Uruguay, said Everleny.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Araujo joined Barcelona from his native Uruguay in 2018, made his first-team debut the following October and has since gone on to make more than 200 appearances for the Catalan club.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

She joined Dow Jones after previously reporting from Uruguay, where she worked at Agence-France Presse as an editor and video journalist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

After Argentina, the IMF director is expected to visit Uruguay to meet with President Yamandu Orsi.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 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

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