malawi

IPA/məˈlɑː.wi/
KK[məlˈɑwi]IPA/məˈlɑː.wi/

malawi — noun

1. the country name used when talking about the nation in southeastern Africa, its

1.nounA2
Definition

the country name used when talking about the nation in southeastern Africa, its people, its government, or life there

Example

Saira moved to Malawi to teach science at a secondary school.

move to [country] for work or study

The president of Malawi spoke about rising food prices on television.

government of [country] in news reports

Common collocations
  • the government of Malawi
  • the people of Malawi
  • in Malawi
  • from Malawi
  • move to Malawi
  • Malawi's economy
Synonyms
  • Republic of Malawi

    the full official name, used in formal government or diplomatic contexts

  • the Malawian state

    a formal phrase that emphasizes the government or state system rather than the country name itself

Grammar Patterns

used as the name of a country

in Malawi

from Malawi

Usage Note

Use Malawi without the article the, and treat it as singular: Malawi is, not Malawi are. This sense is common with words about government, people, trade, or daily life, while the geographical-name sense is more about location on a map.

Common Mistakes

I want to travel to the Malawi next year.
I want to travel to Malawi next year.
Country names like Malawi do not usually take the article the.
Malawi are facing a food shortage this year.
Malawi is facing a food shortage this year.
The country name is treated as singular in English.

malawi — geographical name

Word family

  • Malawian
    nounB1
  • Malawian
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Malawi is the normal name used in conversation, news reports, and travel writing. Republic of Malawi is the full official name, so it appears in legal, diplomatic, and ceremonial settings. The Malawian state is narrower: it points to the government system or state power rather than to the country as a place or its people. For example, a headline might say Malawi needs more maize imports, while a treaty would name the Republic of Malawi, and a politics article might discuss how the Malawian state funds public hospitals.

Malawi ↗Republic of Malawithe Malawian state

Common collocations

Nouns

  • map of Malawi
  • government of Malawi
  • people of Malawi
  • border with Malawi
  • Lake Malawi

Phrases

  • move to Malawi
  • travel to Malawi
  • eastern Malawi
  • southern Malawi

Prepositions

  • in Malawi
  • from Malawi
  • across Malawi

Etymology

MaraviEnglish

The English name Malawi comes from Maravi, the name of an older kingdom and people in the region. Writers often connect the older form with the image of flames or sunlight on water, which is why the name is sometimes linked to the bright surface of Lake Malawi.