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Definition of wanganui
wanganui
/ˌwɒŋɡəˈnuːi/
wan · ga · nui
wanganui Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
8
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
Syllables
4
• noun
1
New Zealand A city located on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, situated at the mouth of the Whanganui River.
2
New Zealand A major river in the North Island of New Zealand, flowing from the central volcanic plateau to the Tasman Sea.
Synonyms
View all synonyms for wanganuiWord Nuance & Usage
In 2015, the official name of the city was changed to 'Whanganui' to reflect the correct Māori spelling, though the historical anglicized spelling 'Wanganui' is still frequently encountered in older texts and general usage.
• Rhymes for wanganui
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Wanganui. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/wanganui