Zimbabwe
Americannoun
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Formerly Southern Rhodesia,. Formerly Rhodesia. a republic in southern Africa: a former British colony and part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland; gained independence 1980. 150,330 sq. mi. (389,362 sq. km). Harare.
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the site of stone ruins Great Zimbabwe discovered c1870 in Rhodesia, probably built by a Bantu people, consisting of three main groups of ruins, and dating between the 9th and 15th centuries a.d.
noun
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Former names: Southern Rhodesia. Rhodesia. a country in SE Africa, formerly a self-governing British colony founded in 1890 by the British South Africa Company, which administered the country until a self-governing colony was established in 1923; joined with Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Nyasaland (now Malawi) as the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland from 1953 to 1963; made a unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) under the leadership of Ian Smith in 1965 on the basis of White minority rule; proclaimed a republic in 1970; in 1976 the principle of Black majority rule was accepted and in 1978 a transitional government was set up; gained independence under Robert Mugabe in 1980; effectively a one-party state since 1987; a member of the Commonwealth until 2003, when it withdrew as a result of conflict with other members. Official language: English. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: Zimbabwe dollar. Capital: Harare. Pop: 13 182 908 (2013 est). Area: 390 624 sq km (150 820 sq miles)
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Also: Great Zimbabwe. a ruined fortified settlement in Zimbabwe, which at its height, in the 15th century, was probably the capital of an empire covering SE Africa
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A British colony from the end of the nineteenth century to 1965 and then (1965–1980) a renegade state ruled by a white minority, Zimbabwe became independent in 1980.
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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.
Zimbabwe also exports to around 60 other markets, Matsvaire said, confirming plans for US tobacco giant Philip Morris International to resume activities in the country after several decades.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Jean Gasho, 43, who is originally from Zimbabwe and calls herself Queen Nandi, left with her head covered, lying low in the back of a pick-up truck.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Analysts cite concerns that increasing lithium supply, including new exports from Zimbabwe, could limit future pricing upside.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
“However, improving Zimbabwe exports and possible Chinese licensing regime easing could add some relief.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
There was so much else I wanted to tell him about the United States, and to learn about Zimbabwe.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
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.