Gaddafi

American

[guh-dah-fee] / gəˈdɑ fi /

noun

Muammar (Muhammad), al- or el-, Qadhafi.

Gaddafi British

/ ɡəˈdɑːfɪ /

noun

Mu'ammar Muhammad al- (ˈməʊəˌmɑː æl),1942–2011, Libyan army officer and statesman; head of state from 1969

"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.

On Tuesday, Libya marked 15 years since the start of the uprising that eventually toppled Gaddafi, with fireworks lighting up the sky in Tripoli, but for many Libyans life remains a struggle.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

Libya has struggled to recover from the chaos that erupted following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled Gaddafi.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

Libya has become a staging point for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa seeking to reach Europe since long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed in 2011.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

Each year, Bani Walid celebrates the anniversary of a 1969 coup that brought Gaddafi to power, with people parading through the streets with portraits of the ex-leader and Libya's green flag from before the revolt.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Born in 1972, he played a key role in Libya's rapprochement with the West from 2000 until the collapse of the Gaddafi regime.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

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