Switzerland

//ˈswɪtsɚlənd// name, noun

name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A neutral party in a dispute; one who does not take sides. figuratively, uncountable

    "I’m not getting involved in this argument. I’m Switzerland."

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A country in Western Europe and Central Europe. Official name: Swiss Confederation. Capital: Bern (de facto).

    "Much of Switzerland is located in the Alps."

Example

More examples

"Bern is the capital of Switzerland."

Etymology

Compound of Switzer + -land, adopted in the 16th century from Early Modern German Schwytzerland (“land of the Swiss”). Noun sense refers to the state’s political neutrality in both World Wars.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.