the hague
the hague Lexical Profile
• noun
A major city on the western coast of the Netherlands, serving as the administrative capital, the seat of the Dutch government and parliament, and the residence of the royal family.
"Many international embassies and government ministries are located in The Hague."
A metonym for the international legal and judicial institutions hosted in the city, most notably the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
"The war criminal was eventually extradited to face trial at The Hague."
Word Nuance & Usage
While The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government, parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State, Amsterdam is the official constitutional capital of the Netherlands.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From the Dutch 'Den Haag', which is a truncation of the older name ''s-Gravenhage', meaning 'The Count's Hedge' or 'The Count's Wood', referring to a 13th-century hunting lodge established by the counts of Holland.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.