Chile

[ chil-ee; Spanish chee-le ]
/ ˈtʃɪl i; Spanish ˈtʃi lɛ /

noun

a republic in SW South America, on the Pacific Coast. 286,396 sq. mi. (741,765 sq. km). Capital: Santiago.

OTHER WORDS FROM Chile

Chil·e·an, adjective, noun pro-Chil·e·an, adjective, noun pseu·do-Chil·e·an, adjective, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH Chile

Chile chili chilly

Example sentences from the Web for chilean

British Dictionary definitions for chilean (1 of 3)

Chilean
/ (ˈtʃɪlɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to Chile or its inhabitants

noun

a native or inhabitant of Chile

British Dictionary definitions for chilean (2 of 3)

chile
/ (ˈtʃɪlɪ) /

noun

a variant spelling of chilli

British Dictionary definitions for chilean (3 of 3)

Chile
/ (ˈtʃɪlɪ) /

noun

a republic in South America, on the Pacific, with a total length of about 4090 km (2650 miles) and an average width of only 177 km (110 miles): gained independence from Spain in 1818; the government of President Allende (elected 1970) attempted the implementation of Marxist policies within a democratic system until overthrown by a military coup (1973); democracy restored 1988. Chile consists chiefly of the Andes in the east, the Atacama Desert in the north, a central fertile region, and a huge S region of almost uninhabitable mountains, glaciers, fjords, and islands; an important producer of copper, iron ore, nitrates, etc. Language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: peso. Capital: Santiago. Pop: 17 216 945 (2013 est). Area: 756 945 sq km (292 256 sq miles)

Cultural definitions for chilean

Chile

Republic in southern South America on the western slope of the Andes. Chile is a long, narrow strip of land bordered by Peru to the north, Bolivia and Argentina to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the south and west. Its capital and largest city is Santiago.

notes for Chile

In 1973, General Augusto Pinochet led a coup that overthrew President Salvador Allende, a Marxist.

notes for Chile

Pinochet suppressed human rights and political activity until he lost a plebiscite in 1988. A successor was chosen in free elections. In 1998, Pinochet was arrested in Great Britain on a Spanish warrant, but a court ruled him too ill to stand trial. He returned to Chile, where attempts to prosecute him continued.