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Java

American  
[jah-vuh, jav-uh] / ˈdʒɑ və, ˈdʒæv ə /

noun

  1. the main island of Indonesia. 51,032 sq. mi. (132,173 sq. km).

  2. (usually lowercase) coffee.

    a cup of java.
Trademark.

  1. Digital Technology. a brand name for a high-level, object-oriented programming language used primarily to build web-based applications.

Java 1 British  
/ ˈdʒɑːvə /

noun

  1. a programming language especially applicable to the Internet

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Java 2 British  
/ ˈdʒɑːvə /

noun

  1. Former spelling: Djawa.  an island of Indonesia, south of Borneo, from which it is separated by the Java Sea : politically the most important island of Indonesia; it consists chiefly of active volcanic mountains and is densely forested. It came under Dutch control in 1596 and became part of Indonesia in 1949. It is one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Capital: Jakarta. Pop (with Madura): 121 352 608 (2000 est). Area: 132 174 sq km (51 032 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Java Cultural  

  1. Island in Indonesia, south of Borneo.

Discover More

Java is one of the world's most densely populated regions.

It was under Dutch rule from 1619 to 1949.

Etymology

Origin of Java

1550–60; of obscure origin; possibly from Sanskrit yāvadvīpa, yāvaka dvīpa “barley island” (the island was well known for the barley plant)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The father-of-three admitted that his family in Tegal, Central Java, has struggled without this income, more than eight times the minimum wage there.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

Clouds of ash and gas rise above Mount Semeru on Indonesia's main island of Java after eruptions force officials to raise the alert status to its highest level.

From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025

More than 660 pupils from two schools in central Java reported symptoms of food poisoning, Gunungkidul district head Endah Subekti Kuntariningsih said.

From Barron's • Oct. 29, 2025

Rescuers are racing to pull dozens of students and workers from under the rubble of a school building that collapsed in East Java, Indonesia.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2025

Great Plains, and when farmers stemming ultimately from China emigrated to the Chatham Islands, the rain forests of Borneo, or the volcanic soils of Java or Hawaii.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.