Yugoslav

American  

[yoo-goh-slahv, -slav] / ˈyu goʊˌslɑv, -ˌslæv /

Or Jugoslav

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of the former country of Yugoslavia.

2. a southern Slav; a member of the southern group of Slavic peoples.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Yugoslavs.

Yugoslav British  

/ ˈjuːɡəʊˌslɑːv /

noun

1. (formerly) a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Yugoslavia (sense 1 or 2)

2. (not in technical use) another name for Serbo-Croat

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adjective

1. (formerly) of, relating to, or characteristic of Yugoslavia (sense 1 or 2) or its people

Other Word Forms

• anti-Yugoslav adjective
• pro-Yugoslav noun

Etymology

Origin of Yugoslav

1850–55; earlier Jugo-Slav < German Jugoslawe < Serbo-Croatian Jugoslòvēn, Jugoslàvēn, equivalent to jȕg south + -o- -o- + Slovēn, Slavēn Slav

Example Sentences

In December, an investment firm linked to Kushner ditched plans to build a hotel on the site of Belgrade's bombed-out Yugoslav army headquarters.

From Barron's • Jan. 24, 2026

Russian support for Belgrade in 1914 was a trigger for World War I, and Moscow has offered unflinching support of Serbia during and after the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

The design also echoes the contours of Sutjeska Gorge, the site of the Yugoslav Partisans' pivotal victory over Nazi forces in 1943.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2025

China has built strong relations with Serbia, including making a semi-secret delivery of an anti-aircraft missile system to the former Yugoslav republic in 2022.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 29, 2024

Next came a beautiful young Yugoslav who identified herself as an optimist, saying that she loved everything that life had to offer.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris