aruba

aruba — noun

1. a small island country that governs itself, in the southern Caribbean Sea, part

1.nounA2
Definition

a small island country that governs itself, in the southern Caribbean Sea, part of the Dutch kingdom

Example

Yan's family flew to Aruba, a Caribbean island, for a two-week beach holiday.

preposition: to Aruba

Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes of Aruba leads the island's own government, apart from the Netherlands.

proper noun with no article

Usage Note

As a proper noun, Aruba is normally used without an article — for example, 'She lives in Aruba,' not 'in the Aruba.' To refer to it as a political unit, the phrase 'the country of Aruba' or 'the nation of Aruba' may be used.

Common Mistakes

We stayed in the Aruba last winter.
We stayed in Aruba last winter.
Proper nouns for countries usually take no article.
Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Holland.
Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The official name uses 'Netherlands,' not 'Holland.'

2. the actual island itself, lying in the Caribbean Sea near the coast of northwest

2.nounA2
Definition

the actual island itself, lying in the Caribbean Sea near the coast of northwestern Venezuela, known for its dry sunny weather, white sand beaches, and the capital city Oranjestad

Example

The island of Aruba sits just twenty-five kilometers north of Venezuela.

phrase: the island of Aruba

Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba, has colorful Dutch colonial buildings along the waterfront.

Usage Note

When describing the physical location or geography of Aruba, the phrase 'the island of Aruba' is common. In travel and tourism contexts, speakers often refer simply to 'Aruba' without 'island of.'

Word family

  • Aruban
    adjectiveB1
  • Aruban
    nounB1

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • the island of
  • the people of
  • the government of

Prepositions

Etymology

ArawakSpanishDutchEnglish

The name Aruba probably comes from the Arawak/Taíno indigenous language of the Caribbean. Two explanations exist: it may come from 'ora' (shell) and 'oubao' (island), meaning 'island of shells,' or from 'aruba' meaning 'well-positioned.' The Spanish claimed the island in 1499, and it became part of the Dutch Empire in the 1600s. The modern political status as a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands dates from 1986.