brasilia: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal (primarily geographic, political, historical, architectural contexts)
Quick answer
What does “brasilia” mean?
The purpose-built capital city of Brazil, located in the central-west region of the country.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The purpose-built capital city of Brazil, located in the central-west region of the country.
Can be used metonymically to refer to the Brazilian federal government or its administrative apparatus. In architecture/urban planning contexts, refers to a famous example of modernist planned city design.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling with acute accent (Brasília) is standard in both, though sometimes omitted in informal English writing.
Connotations
In both varieties, strongly associated with 20th-century modernist architecture (Oscar Niemeyer) and urban planning (Lúcio Costa).
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both, appearing primarily in geographical, historical, political, or architectural discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “brasilia” in a Sentence
[Brasília] + [be verb] + [location/description][Action] + [in/to/from] + [Brasília]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “brasilia” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The Brasília project was hugely ambitious.
American English
- He admired the Brasília-style architecture.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in context of businesses dealing with Brazilian government contracts ('Our firm has an office in Brasília').
Academic
Common in geography, political science, urban studies, and architecture papers discussing planned cities or modernist design.
Everyday
Low frequency. Appears in news about Brazil, travel discussions, or trivia.
Technical
In architecture/planning: a canonical case study of a 20th-century planned capital.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “brasilia”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “brasilia”
- Misspelling as 'Brazilia' (common but non-standard).
- Using without the capital letter.
- Confusing it with Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is not. While it is the capital, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are significantly larger in population.
It was built to serve as a new, centrally located federal capital, to help develop the interior of the country and to provide a modern, purpose-built seat of government.
In British English: /brəˈzɪl.i.ə/. In American English: /brəˈzɪl.jə/. The stress is on the second syllable.
Yes, metonymically. In political contexts, 'Brasília' can refer to the Brazilian federal government or its bureaucracy, similar to how 'Washington' is used for the US government.
The purpose-built capital city of Brazil, located in the central-west region of the country.
Brasilia is usually formal (primarily geographic, political, historical, architectural contexts) in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Brazil' + 'ia' (a place). It's the place that is the capital of Brazil.
Conceptual Metaphor
CITY AS A MACHINE / GOVERNMENT AS A PLACE (Brasília is the seat of power).
Practice
Quiz
What is Brasília primarily known as?