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Definition of groningen
groningen
/ˈɡroʊnɪŋən/
Gro · nin · gen
groningen Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
8
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A major city in the northern Netherlands, serving as the capital of the eponymous province and renowned as a vibrant cultural and educational hub with extensive bicycle infrastructure.
2
The northernmost province of the Netherlands, bordered by the Wadden Sea to the north and Germany to the east, historically significant for its agriculture and natural gas reserves.
Example
"The government announced plans to phase out natural gas extraction in the province of Groningen due to recurring induced earthquakes."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The name was first recorded around 1040 as 'Villa Cruoninga'. It is believed to derive either from a Germanic patronymic name or refer to green fields (cognate with Dutch 'groen').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Groningen. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 17, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/groningen