Kongo
noun
Kon·go
ˈkäŋ-(ˌ)gō 
plural Kongo or Kongos
1
: a member of a Bantu people of the lower Congo River
2
: the Bantu language of the Kongo people
Examples of Kongo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Relations with Angola soon soured and then worsened when Angola’s governor briefly invaded southern Kongo in 1622.
—
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
By gathering second- and thirdhand traces and elusive sources and data, historians have illuminated communities in the forests of the Kongo region, the deltas of West Africa, the mangroves of Cuba, and the swamps of the Carolinas.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Indeed, the word macandal comes from two possible Kongo roots, mak(w)onda (amulet) or makanda (a packet of something wrapped in a leaf).
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Eleven percent came from West-Central Africa, incorporating folks from the Kongo kingdom and modern Gabon.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025
At the same time, the use of interpreters was a source of political leverage for Kongo’s officials.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 12 July 2025
Thousands came in bondage from the Caribbean and Africa, often from the Kongo or Loango peoples, between the early 1600s and the late 1700s, when the slave trade ended.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 2 June 2024
The most magical detail is a mouthful of teeth made from handmade iron nails, which evoke both Kongo power figures and a very serious scarecrow.
—Will Heinrich, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Coates starred in an extensive number of film and television projects throughout the 1950s following her Superman success, including Jungle Drums of Africa (1952), Panther Girl of the Kongo (1954) and Girls in Prison (1956).
—Conor Murray, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
By gathering second- and thirdhand traces and elusive sources and data, historians have illuminated communities in the forests of the Kongo region, the deltas of West Africa, the mangroves of Cuba, and the swamps of the Carolinas.
—Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Indeed, the word macandal comes from two possible Kongo roots, mak(w)onda (amulet) or makanda (a packet of something wrapped in a leaf).
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Eleven percent came from West-Central Africa, incorporating folks from the Kongo kingdom and modern Gabon.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025
At the same time, the use of interpreters was a source of political leverage for Kongo’s officials.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 12 July 2025
Thousands came in bondage from the Caribbean and Africa, often from the Kongo or Loango peoples, between the early 1600s and the late 1700s, when the slave trade ended.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 2 June 2024
The most magical detail is a mouthful of teeth made from handmade iron nails, which evoke both Kongo power figures and a very serious scarecrow.
—Will Heinrich, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Coates starred in an extensive number of film and television projects throughout the 1950s following her Superman success, including Jungle Drums of Africa (1952), Panther Girl of the Kongo (1954) and Girls in Prison (1956).
—Conor Murray, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Kongo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kongo. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
