West Bengal

American

noun

a state in E India: formerly part of the province of Bengal. 33,805 sq. mi. (87,555 sq. km). Calcutta.

West Bengal British

noun

a state of E India, on the Bay of Bengal: formed in 1947 from the Hindu area of Bengal; additional territories added in 1950 (Cooch Behar), 1954 (Chandernagor), and 1956 (part of Bihar); mostly low-lying and crossed by the Hooghly River. Capital: Kolkata (Calcutta). Pop: 80 221 171 (2001). Area: 88 752 sq km (34 260 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

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.

His father Sisir Adhikari was a veteran MP and the family built a political network across parts of coastal West Bengal, with several relatives holding elected office over the years.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

The West Bengal election has been one of the most controversial local polls yet.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

The West Bengal result is the most significant.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Trends released by the Election Commission of India on Monday showed BJP leading in 176 out of 294 seats in West Bengal.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

Even Chacko had no really complete explanation for why the Communist Party was so much more successful in Kerala than it had been almost anywhere else in India, except perhaps in West Bengal.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

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