Uruguay

American  

[yoor-uh-gwey, -gwahy, oo-roo-gwahy] / ˈjʊər 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

See Examples For:

Uruguay

The 44-year-old officiated group games between Japan and the Netherlands and Uruguay versus Spain in the tournament, as well as Norway's last-16 victory over five-time winners Brazil.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

In 2030, matches will be played in six countries – Morocco, Portugal, Spain, plus Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay as centenary hosts.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Tuchel went through the card, using Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dominic Solanke in the March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Video footage later emerged showing him and his family boarding a private jet to Uruguay on vacation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 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