Yugoslavia

IPA/jˌuːɡəslˈɑːviə/
KK[jˌuɡoslˈɑviə]IPA/jˌuːɡoʊslˈɑːviːə/

Yugoslavia — noun

1. a nation that existed in the Balkan peninsula of southern Europe from 1918 to th

1.nounB1
Definition

a nation that existed in the Balkan peninsula of southern Europe from 1918 to the early 2000s, made up of six republics: Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia.

Example

Yasmin's great-grandfather built a hotel in Belgrade, the capital of Yugoslavia, in the 1920s.

capital of Yugoslavia + geography context

Renata spent a week at a beach resort on Yugoslavia's Adriatic coast in 1986.

Common collocations
  • the republics of Yugoslavia
  • the breakup of Yugoslavia
  • the former Yugoslavia
  • the capital of Yugoslavia
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

Yugoslavia + verb (singular)

Usage Note

Yugoslavia is always written with a capital letter. It is now a historical term — the country no longer exists. Use past tense when referring to it.

Common Mistakes

Yugoslavia is a country in the Balkans.
Yugoslavia was a country in the Balkans.
The country no longer exists, so use past tense.
She went to Yugoslavia last summer.
She visited the former Yugoslavia last summer.
You cannot visit a country that no longer exists. Use 'former Yugoslavia' or name the specific modern country.

2. the former political federation of six South Slavic republics — Serbia, Croatia,

2.nounB1
Definition

the former political federation of six South Slavic republics — Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Macedonia — that shared a single government in southeastern Europe from 1918 until the early 1990s.

Example

Professor Soraya traced Yugoslavia's path from a 1918 monarchy to a six-republic socialist federation.

traced + path from monarchy to socialist federation for political evolution narrative

Noor researched how Yugoslavia's factories in Bosnia were built with Western loans during the 1970s.

Common collocations
  • the history of Yugoslavia
  • the dissolution of Yugoslavia
  • the people of Yugoslavia
  • the government of Yugoslavia
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

Yugoslavia + verb (singular)

Usage Note

This sense overlaps with the geographical sense but focuses on Yugoslavia as a historical political entity rather than a place on the map. Distinguish from sense 1 (BALKAN COUNTRY) by context: when the emphasis is on the country's political history, institutions, or time period, use this sense.

Common Mistakes

Yugoslavia is located in southeastern Europe.
Yugoslavia was located in southeastern Europe.
Always use past tense; the country no longer exists.

Word family

  • Yugoslav
    nounB1
  • Yugoslav
    adjectiveB1
  • Yugoslavian
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

"the former Yugoslavia" is the most common modern term, used in journalism and everyday speech to refer to the region without implying the country still exists. "the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" is the official name from 1945 to 1992 — formal, precise, and used mainly in historical writing or legal documents. "the Kingdom of Yugoslavia" refers specifically to the monarchy period (1918–1945). In practice, when you simply say "Yugoslavia" (sense 1), you refer to the land and its six republics. Use "the former Yugoslavia" when you need to make clear the country no longer exists, "the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" when writing about its communist era, and "the Kingdom of Yugoslavia" when discussing the pre-World War II period. For example: "The former Yugoslavia now consists of seven independent countries."

the former Yugoslaviathe Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslaviathe Kingdom of Yugoslavia

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the breakup of Yugoslavia
  • the history of Yugoslavia
  • the people of Yugoslavia
  • the former Yugoslavia

Phrases

  • the collapse of Yugoslavia
  • the dissolution of Yugoslavia
  • the federation of Yugoslavia
  • the republics of Yugoslavia

Prepositions

  • in Yugoslavia
  • from Yugoslavia
  • of Yugoslavia
  • to Yugoslavia
  • across Yugoslavia

Etymology

Serbo-CroatianEnglish

The name comes from the Serbo-Croatian word 'Jugoslavija,' which combines 'jug' (south) and 'Slavija' (land of the Slavs). The meaning is 'land of the South Slavs,' referring to the southern Slavic peoples who lived in the Balkan region. The name was adopted when the country was formed after World War I.