Labuan

American

[lah-boo-ahn] / ˌlɑ buˈɑn /

noun

an island off the W coast of Sabah: part of Sabah state, E Malaysia: a free port. 35 sq. mi. (90.65 sq. km).

Labuan British

/ ləˈbuːən /

noun

an island off the NW coast of Borneo, forming a federal territory of Malaysia: part of the Straits Settlements until 1946, when transferred to North Borneo. Chief town: Victoria (or Labuan). Area: 98 sq km (38 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

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 man's wife and one of their daughters were among seven people rescued after the vessel went down in the Padar Island Strait, near the popular destination of Labuan Bajo.

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

A jazz festival in Labuan Bajo town, some 600km from Mount Lewotaobi Laki-laki, was postponed to next year due to safety concerns.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2024

The leaders of Association of Southeast Asia Nations in a summit at Indonesia’s Labuan Bajo in May agreed to increase cooperation in border management, investigation, law enforcement and prosecution, and repatriation of victims.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 25, 2023

She was referring to the meeting of Southeast Asian leaders that was held in the tourism destination, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara province.

From Reuters • Jul. 3, 2023

The first connection of the British with Labuan was on the occasion of their being expelled by the Sulus from Balambangan, in 1775, when they took temporary refuge on the island.

From British Borneo Sketches of Brunai, Sarawak, Labuan, and North Borneo by Treacher, W. H. (William Hood), Sir

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