SINCE 1828
Istanbul
geographical name
Is·tan·bul
| \ ˌi-stən-ˈbül
, -ˌstan-, -ˌstän-, -ˈbu̇l, ˈi-stən-ˌbül, -ˌbu̇l, or with m for n\
, -ˌstan-, -ˌstän-, -ˈbu̇l, ˈi-stən-ˌbül, -ˌbu̇l, or with m for n\
variants:
or formerly Constantinople \ ˌkän-ˌstan-tə-ˈnō-pəl
\
or ancient Byzantium \ bə-ˈzan-tē-əm
, -ˈzan-sh(ē-)əm \
\
or ancient Byzantium \ bə-ˈzan-tē-əm
, -ˈzan-sh(ē-)əm \
Definition of Istanbul
city in northwestern Turkey partly in Europe and partly in Asia on the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara; capital of Turkey before its independence in 1923 and earlier capital of the Ottoman Empire population 12,500,000
Comments on Istanbul
What made you want to look up Istanbul? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Words from Greek and Latin Quiz
-
- Which of the following months comes from a Latin word for “ten”?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Words from Greek and Latin Quiz
Finally! A use for those SAT prep classes.
Take the quiz -
Name That Thing: Animal Edition
How many animals can you identify?
Take the quiz -
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
Take the quiz -
Syn City
Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time.
Play the game
Share Istanbul
Resources for Istanbul