Netherlands

IPA/nˈɛðɜːləndz/
KK[nˈɛðɚləndz]IPA/nˈɛðərləndz/

Netherlands — noun

1. a country in northwestern Europe on the coast of the North Sea. The Netherlands

1.nounA1
Definition

a country in northwestern Europe on the coast of the North Sea. The Netherlands is a kingdom whose official capital is Amsterdam, while the government meets in The Hague. The land is very flat, and the country is famous for its canals, windmills, cycling, and tulips.

Example

The Netherlands borders Belgium to the south and Germany to the east.

geographical location pattern: 'borders + [country]'

Élise learned from her textbook that the Netherlands is a kingdom with Amsterdam as its capital.

that-clause after 'learn' for stating facts about a country

Common collocations
  • the Netherlands
  • in the Netherlands
  • from the Netherlands
  • to the Netherlands
  • visit the Netherlands
  • the Netherlands government
Synonyms
  • Holland

    Used informally to refer to the whole country, but technically refers only to the western region of the Netherlands. Avoid in formal writing.

Grammar Patterns

the Netherlands

Usage Note

Always used with the definite article 'the': 'the Netherlands'. Do not drop the article: ✓ 'I live in the Netherlands' — ❌ 'I live in Netherlands'. Despite the plural-looking '-s' ending, the word is treated as a singular proper noun: 'The Netherlands is a member of the European Union.'

Common Mistakes

Holland won the soccer match.
The Netherlands won the soccer match.
Holland is the name of two provinces (North and South Holland), not the whole country. The Netherlands is the correct name for the entire nation.

Word family

  • Dutch
    adjectiveA1
  • Dutch
    nounA1
  • Netherlandish
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Netherlands is the official name of the country and should be used in formal writing, travel documents, and geography lessons. Holland technically refers to only two of the country's twelve provinces (North Holland and South Holland), but many English speakers use it casually to mean the entire nation — similar to using 'England' to mean 'Britain'. Dutch is an adjective (e.g., 'Dutch cheese', 'Dutch language') or a noun for the people or language, not a substitute for 'Netherlands'. In a sentence: 'She moved to the Netherlands' (country) — not 'She moved to Holland' (imprecise) — 'and now speaks Dutch fluently' (language).

Netherlands ↗Holland ↗Dutch ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the Netherlands
  • the Dutch government

Prepositions

Etymology

DutchEnglish

The name 'Netherlands' comes from the Dutch word 'Nederland', meaning 'low lands' or 'low countries', reflecting the country's flat, low-lying geography where much of the land is at or below sea level. The English version developed through trade and political contact in the 16th and 17th centuries, when the region was known in English as the 'Low Countries'.