Meaning & use
Norway
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
A country in northern Europe, on the western side of the Scandinavian peninsula, whose capital is Oslo.
Grammar: Used as a name, so it takes no article: Norway is cold in winter, not 'the Norway'.
Patterns
- live in Norway
- travel to Norway
- the capital of Norway
My cousin moved to Norway last year to work in a hospital.
Norway is known for its long, deep coastal valleys called fjords.
We flew from London to Oslo, the capital of Norway.
proper nounproperformal
The Kingdom of Norway, the state that governs this country, including its overseas territories.
Grammar: Used in formal or official contexts, often as 'the Kingdom of Norway' with 'the'.
Patterns
- the Kingdom of Norway
- the government of Norway
The Kingdom of Norway has a king and a parliament.
Norway signed the agreement on behalf of its fishing industry.
Common combinations
- the coast of Norway
- The coast of Norway is full of narrow inlets.
- northern Norway
- Northern Norway has very short days in winter.
- a trip to Norway
- They saved for two years for a trip to Norway.
- the Norwegian krone
- Prices in Norway are listed in the Norwegian krone.
- Norway's oil industry
- Norway's oil industry has made the country very wealthy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- the Kingdom of Norway
- The full official name; use it in legal or ceremonial texts rather than in everyday speech.
Word family
- Norwegian adjective
- Relating to Norway, its people, or its language.
- Norwegian noun
- A person from Norway, or the language spoken there.
- Norway maple noun
- A large European maple tree often planted in parks and streets.
Commonly confused: Norway or Norway rat?
Norway vs Norway rat
This is a species of rat, not the country; the name comes from the mistaken old belief that the animal came from Norway.
Practice
Which sentence uses the name of the country correctly?
Choose one answer.
Country names like Norway are proper nouns and take no article, so 'in Norway' is correct. 'The Norway' is wrong because we do not put 'the' before ordinary country names, and 'Norways' is wrong because the name has no plural form here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Norway”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.