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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.

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)

"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  

  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.

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

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

England captain and all-time record scorer Kane remains irreplaceable - as shown against Uruguay and Japan - as the main striker, while Bukayo Saka's quality and major tournament experience make him an automatic choice.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Tuchel will rightly say Uruguay and Japan are the tough tests England required to tune up for the World Cup, but the burning question is still the same and has not been answered.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Kane did not figure in either the draw against Uruguay or this loss to an impressive Japan, who sit 18th in the Fifa rankings, some 14 places below high-flying England.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The first has been made up primarily of fringe players, with the returning Harry Maguire and Phil Foden lining up alongside debutants James Garner and James Trafford in Friday's flat 1-1 draw with Uruguay.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

About her traveling to Uruguay to meet this new life.

From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.