Sri Lanka

[ sree lahng-kuh, lang-kuh, shree ]

noun
  1. an island republic in the Indian Ocean, south of India: a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 25,332 sq. mi. (65,610 sq. km). Capital: Colombo.

  • Formerly Cey·lon [si-lon, sey-] /sɪˈlɒn, seɪ-/ .
  • Arabic Ser·en·dip [ser-uhn-dip], /ˌsɛr ənˈdɪp/, Ser·en·dib [ser-uhn-deeb] /ˌsɛr ənˈdib/ .

Other words from Sri Lanka

  • Sri Lankan, adjective, noun

Words Nearby Sri Lanka

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Sri Lanka in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

/ (ˌsriː ˈlæŋkə) /


noun
  1. a republic in S Asia, occupying the island of Ceylon: settled by the Sinhalese from S India in about 550 bc; became a British colony 1802; gained independence in 1948, becoming a republic within the Commonwealth in 1972. Exports include tea, cocoa, cinnamon, and copra. Official languages: Sinhalese and Tamil; English is also widely spoken. Religion: Hinayana Buddhist majority. Currency: Sri Lanka rupee. Capital: Colombo (administrative), Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte (legislative). Parts of the coast suffered badly in the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. Pop: 21 675 648 (2013 est). Area: 65 610 sq km (25 332 sq miles): Official name (since 1978): Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Former name (until 1972): Ceylon

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

Cultural definitions for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

[ (sree lahng-kuh) ]


Formerly Ceylon, now an island republic in the Indian Ocean just southeast of India.

Notes for Sri Lanka

A British colony since 1796, the island became independent in 1948.

Notes for Sri Lanka

Marked by hostility between its Buddhist Sinhalese majority and Hindu Tamil minority (see Buddhism and Hinduism).

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.