a republic occupying the islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino, in the Mediterranean south of Sicily: governed by the Knights Hospitallers from 1530 until Napoleon's conquest in 1798; French driven out, with British help, 1800; became British dependency 1814; suffered severely in World War II; became independent in 1964 and a republic in 1974; joined the EU in 2004; a member of the Commonwealth. Official languages: Maltese and English. Official religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: euro. Capital: Valletta. Pop: 430 835 (2017 est). Area: 316 sq km (122 sq miles)
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
Mal•ta
(môl′tə),USA pronunciation n.
- Place Namesan island in the Mediterranean between Sicily and Africa. 95 sq. mi. (246 sq. km).
- Place Namesa former British colony consisting of this island and two small adjacent islands: now an independent sovereign state and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. 379,365;
122 sq. mi. (316 sq. km). Cap.: Valletta.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'Malta' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Adami
- European Union
- Knights of Malta
- Lampedusa
- Malta fever
- Maltese
- Maltese cross
- Pelagian Islands
- S.M.O.M.
- Valletta
- brucellosis
- cent
- euro
- lira
- sequin