Kolkata

American

[kol-kah-tuh] / kɒlˈkɑ tə /

noun

a seaport in and the capital of West Bengal state, in eastern India, on the Hugli River: former capital of British India.

Kolkata British

/ ˈkolkɑːtə /

noun

Former official name: Calcutta. a port in E India, capital of West Bengal state, on the Hooghly River: former capital of the country (1833–1912); major commercial and industrial centre; many universities. Pop: 4 580 544 (2001)

"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.

It has built a nursing college and 1,000-bed hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

They were taken to the final ball by Nepal and lost to West Indies in Mumbai, before edging to wins over Italy and Scotland in Kolkata.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

Another pre-tournament fancy, England stumbled through their group matches in Mumbai and Kolkata, losing to the only Test-playing side they faced, the West Indies.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

With confidence growing, the 27th and lowest-ranked team in the tournament are plotting one last hurrah -- a giant-killing against Group C leaders the West Indies in Kolkata on Wednesday.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

The scholarship pays for the top-scoring student in the region to study at a private boarding school in Kolkata.

From "Tiger Boy" by Mitali Perkins

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