noun
Holland
HO-luhnd
noun
1
A common informal name for the Netherlands, technically referring to just two of its provinces (North and South Holland).
"Many tourists say they're visiting Holland when they really mean the whole of the Netherlands."
How to Use Holland
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA widely used but technically narrower name for the Netherlands.
Common mistake
Strictly, "Holland" refers only to the North Holland and South Holland provinces, not the entire country of the Netherlands — though the two names are used interchangeably in everyday speech.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
hollands plural
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Many tourists say they're visiting _____ when they really mean the whole of the Netherlands.
Etymology
From Old Dutch holt lant, meaning "wood land." A popular but incorrect folk theory instead links it to "hollow land," referring to the country's famously low-lying terrain.