afghanistan

IPA/æfˈɡænɪstɑːn/
KK[æfɡˈænəstˌæn]IPA/æfˈɡænɪstæn/

afghanistan — noun

1. the name of the nation called Afghanistan when people talk about its government,

1.nounA2
Definition

the name of the nation called Afghanistan when people talk about its government, daily life, sports teams, or events there

Example

Christopher worked in Afghanistan for six months with a medical charity.

work in [country] with an aid group

Tendai read a report about rising bread prices in Afghanistan.

news report about life in [country]

Common collocations
  • government of Afghanistan
  • people of Afghanistan
  • in Afghanistan
  • from Afghanistan
  • Afghanistan's cricket team
  • return to Afghanistan
Synonyms
  • the Afghan state

    a more formal phrase that points to the government or state system rather than the country as a place

  • the country

    a general phrase used only when the listener already knows Afghanistan is the topic

Grammar Patterns

used as the name of a country

in Afghanistan

from Afghanistan

Usage Note

Use Afghanistan without the article the and with a singular verb. This sense is common in news or conversation about government, people, sport, or daily life, while geographical name/1 is more about the country's location and shape.

Common Mistakes

She returned from the Afghanistan last spring.
She returned from Afghanistan last spring.
Most country names, including Afghanistan, do not usually take the article the.
Afghanistan are rebuilding many roads.
Afghanistan is rebuilding many roads.
The country name takes singular verb agreement in English.

afghanistan — geographical name

Word family

Common collocations

Nouns

  • government of Afghanistan
  • people of Afghanistan
  • map of Afghanistan
  • border with Afghanistan
  • capital of Afghanistan

Phrases

  • return to Afghanistan
  • eastern Afghanistan
  • southern Afghanistan
  • move to Afghanistan

Prepositions

  • in Afghanistan
  • from Afghanistan
  • across Afghanistan

Etymology

PersianEnglish

The English name Afghanistan joins Afghan with the Persian ending -stan, a word part meaning "land" or "place." In other words, the name literally points to the land associated with the Afghans.