Germany
Americannoun
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a republic in central Europe: after World War II divided into four zones, British, French, U.S., and Soviet, and in 1949 into East Germany and West Germany; East and West Germany were reunited in 1990. 137,852 sq. mi. (357,039 sq. km). Berlin.
noun
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German name: Deutschland. Official name: Federal Republic of Germany. a country in central Europe: in the Middle Ages the centre of the Holy Roman Empire; dissolved into numerous principalities; united under the leadership of Prussia in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War; became a republic with reduced size in 1919 after being defeated in World War I; under the dictatorship of Hitler from 1933 to 1945; defeated in World War II and divided by the Allied Powers into four zones, which became established as East and West Germany in the late 1940s; reunified in 1990: a member of the European Union. It is flat and low-lying in the north with plateaus and uplands (including the Black Forest and the Bavarian Alps) in the centre and south. Official language: German. Religion: Christianity, Protestant majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Berlin. Pop: 81 147 265 (2013 est). Area: 357 041 sq km (137 825 sq miles) See also East Germany West Germany
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Republic in north-central Europe, divided into East Germany and West Germany in 1949 and reunited in 1990. Officially called the Federal Republic of Germany.
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After the defeat of the Nazis in World War II, Germany was divided into four zones occupied by British, French, Soviet, and American forces.
Since reunification Germany has become Europe's leading economic power. (See East Germany and West Germany under “World History since 1550.”)
Germany's industrial, colonial, and naval expansion was considered a threat by the British and French and was one of the main causes of World War I, in which Germany was badly defeated.
Germany was a collection of competing states until it was unified during the second half of the nineteenth century under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck.
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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.
Completing his non-league club visits, Tony made the trip to Fulwood, based in Preston, flanked by writers from Germany and Spain, keen to tell his story to an international audience.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
Tino Chrupalla, the co-chair of Alternative for Germany, went even further.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Born in France, she grew up in Germany and is Colombian German.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
"Yes, of course we are believing in the manager," said Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz on Tuesday.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
The sinking of the Lusitania shocked the American people, helped turn public opinion against Germany, and almost caused the United States to break off relations with Germany.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.