Zimbabwe

UK: /zɪmˈbɑːbweɪ/, /zɪmˈbɑːbwi/ US: (zim bäb′wā, -wē)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

Zim•bab•we  (zim bäb′wā, -wē), n. 

1. Place Names Formerly, Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia. a republic in S Africa: a former British colony and part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland;
   gained independence 1980. 11,423,175;
   150,330 sq. mi. (389,362 sq. km). Cap.: Harare.
2. Archaeology 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.

Zim•bab′we•an, adj., n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Zimbabwe / zɪmˈbɑːbwɪ -weɪ/ noun

1. 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. Languages: Shona, Ndebele, and English, with thirteen other official languages. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: Zimbabwean dollar. Capital: Harare. Pop: 16 529 904 (2017 est). Area: 390 624 sq km (150 820 sq miles)
   Former names: (until 1964) Southern Rhodesia, (1964–79) Rhodesia
2. 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

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

Rho•de•sia  (rō dē′zhə), n. 

1. Place Names (as Southern Rhodesia) a former British colony in S Africa: declared independence 1965;
   name changed to Zimbabwe 1979.
2. Place Names a historical region in S Africa that comprised the British territories of Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

Rho•de′sian, adj., n.