What does "korea" mean?
A geographic region consisting of two countries in East Asia, commonly known as South Korea and North Korea; formerly a single country.
Korea
/kəˈɹi.ə/ name, slang
name, slang ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A geographic region consisting of two countries in East Asia, commonly known as South Korea and North Korea; formerly a single country.
- Grammar: korea is listed as name, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: cultural area, cultural sphere, divided korea, ethnolinguistic region.
- Usage evidence: What languages do they speak in Korea?
How to use "korea"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "korea" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "korea" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "korea" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "korea" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "korea" is acting as name, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cultural area" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "korea", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Proper Noun
- 1 A geographic region consisting of two countries in East Asia, commonly known as South Korea and North Korea; formerly a single country. countable, uncountable
"After the death of the empreſs Papûſha he had been baniſhed into Korea, from whence he was removed to Quey-lin Fû, the capital of Quang-ſi."
- 2 A geographic region consisting of two countries in East Asia, commonly known as South Korea and North Korea; formerly a single country.; South Korea: A country in East Asia, comprising the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. countable, informal, uncountable
- 3 A geographic region consisting of two countries in East Asia, commonly known as South Korea and North Korea; formerly a single country.; North Korea: A country in East Asia, whose territory consists of the northern part of Korea. countable, rare, uncountable
- 4 A peninsula in East Asia, containing the countries of North Korea and South Korea; in full, Korean Peninsula. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"What languages do they speak in Korea?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "korea"?
Common synonyms include: cultural area, cultural sphere, divided korea, ethnolinguistic region, geography, korean nation.
How do you use "korea" in a sentence?
What languages do they speak in Korea?
How do you pronounce "korea"?
Pronounced /kəˈɹi.ə/.
Etymology
First attested as Core in the 1598 English translation of the 1596 Itinerario of Jan Huyghen van Linschoten, from the original Dutch Core, itself from Portuguese according to van Linschoten's account. The spelling Corea was more common in Early Modern English, likely through Core + -ia. Ultimately a sixteenth-century borrowing by Europeans from some variety of Chinese. Compare Mandarin 高麗 /高丽 (Gāolí) but especially Hokkien 高麗 /高丽 (Ko-lê), which matches the Dutch-Portuguese vowels exactly. These are Chinese pronunciations of Sino-Korean 고려(高麗) (Goryeo), Korea's official name between 918 and 1394 and still used by Chinese people to refer to the country for centuries thereafter; this itself being a shortening of 高句麗 (“Goguryeo”), an ancient Korean kingdom in the first millennium. Doublet of Goryeo, directly from Korean. Some Korean authors claim an Arabic intermediary instead, but this is impossible because the actual medieval Arabic word for Korea was a variant of السيلى (al-sīlā, see also Silla).