Vancouver

American  

[van-koo-ver] / vænˈku vər /

noun

1. George, 1758–98, English explorer who charted the northwest Pacific coast of North America.

2. a seaport in southwestern mainland British Columbia, Canada, on the Strait of Georgia opposite Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

3. a city in southwestern Washington State, on the Columbia River.

4. Mount Vancouver, a mountain on the boundary between Alaska and Canada, in the St. Elias Mountains. 15,700 feet (4,785 meters).

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Vancouver ¹ British  

/ vænˈkuːvə /

noun

1. an island of SW Canada, off the SW coast of British Columbia: separated from the Canadian mainland by the Strait of Georgia and Queen Charlotte Sound, and from the US mainland by Juan de Fuca Strait; the largest island off the W coast of North America. Chief town: Victoria. Pop: 706 243 (2001). Area: 32 137 sq km (12 408 sq miles)

2. a city in SW Canada, in SW British Columbia: Canada's chief Pacific port, named after Captain George Vancouver: university (1908). Pop: 545 671 (2001)

3. a mountain on the border between Canada and Alaska, in the St Elias Mountains. Height: 4785 m (15 700 ft)

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Vancouver ² British  

/ vænˈkuːvə /

noun

1. Captain George. 1757–98, English navigator, noted for his exploration of the Pacific coast of North America (1792–94)

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Vancouver Cultural  

1. City in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, on an arm of the Pacific Ocean.

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Discover More

The city was named for George Vancouver, an English navigator and explorer.

Vancouver is a year-round tourist center.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Vancouver

Vancouver, British Columbia, after revamping its regulation, exceeded its annual target by 54% last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

For America’s 250th birthday, BBC journalists in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver asked Canadians what they would gift the US and what birthday wishes they’d send their southern neighbour.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Heinz in Toronto and Vancouver last week also handed out covered-up versions of its ketchup bottles and packets to fans outside of World Cup stadiums.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026

Devin Wolfgang Vanderhoef, 26, of North Vancouver, British Columbia, met a woman who lives in Salinas through online gaming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026

He and two other pilots traveled from Moscow to Vancouver, Washington, in the United States, flying in a special long-distance plane designed by Andrey Tupolev.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein