Crimea

American  

[krahy-mee-uh, kri-] / kraɪˈmi ə, krɪ- /

noun

1. the Crimea, a peninsula in southeastern Ukraine, between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

2. a former autonomous republic of the Soviet Union, later a region of Ukraine. About 10,000 sq. mi. (25,900 sq. km).

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Crimea British  

/ kraɪˈmɪə /

noun

1. Russian name: Krym.  a peninsula and autonomous region in Ukraine between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov: a former autonomous republic of the Soviet Union (1921–45), part of the Ukrainian SSR from 1945 until 1991

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Crimea Cultural  

1. Peninsula in the extreme southern Ukraine, bordered by the Black Sea to the east, south, and west.

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Discover More

As a former part of the Russian empire, Crimea was one of the strongholds of opposition to the Soviet government after the Russian Revolution.

It was occupied by German troops from 1941 to 1945.

The Crimean War of the 1850s, fought between Russian forces and the allied armies of Britain, France, Turkey, and Sardinia, was the scene of the battle described in “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”

Other Word Forms

• Crimean adjective

Example Sentences

When Russia started using the Shaheds on the battlefield, a delegation of several dozen Iranian officers gathered in Crimea to watch footage of the effects on Ukrainian cities and front-line positions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Ukraine’s first declared use of the Flamingo was in August, against a Russian naval base in Crimea.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

Myrmekion dates back to the 6th Century BC, when the Ancient Greeks settled in Crimea as democracy was being born in Athens.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

Both the archaeologist and the Hermitage insist all their finds remain in Crimea as they are transferred to the Eastern Crimean Museum in Kerch.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

Miss Nightingale, who was never to be referred to as Florence, had been in the Crimea long enough to see the value of discipline, strong lines of command and well-trained troops.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan