Meanings
proper nounFlanders (countable and uncountable, plural Flanderses)
plural Flanderses
- countableuncountableA cultural region in the north of Belgium.
But Wallonian legislators are blocking the changes, fearing that their power is eroding, that the Flemish are doing some legal ethnic cleansing and that a divided Belgium will end the subsidies that flow south from richer Flanders.
2008 May 14, Steven Erlanger, “Seams of Belgium’s Quilt Threaten to Burst”, in The New York Times - countableuncountableA historical county of Western Europe; in full, County of Flanders.
When you went / Ambassador to the Emperor, you made bold / To carry into Flanders the great seal.
1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii] - countableuncountableA region of Belgium. Official name: Flemish Region.
- countableuncountableA community of Belgium. Official name: Flemish Community.
- countableuncountableTwo provinces in Belgian Flanders, West Flanders and East Flanders.
Ellipsis of West Flanders: a province of Flanders, Belgium.
1 more example
Ellipsis of East Flanders: a province of Flanders, Belgium.
- abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of French Flanders: a former province of France.
- abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of French Flanders: a region of France.
- abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of Zeelandic Flanders: a region of Zeeland, the Netherlands.
- countableuncountableThe principal railway station in Lille, capital of the above.
- A place in the United States:
- countableuncountableA village in the town of East Lyme, New London County, Connecticut.
- countableuncountableA historic district in the town of Kent, Litchfield County, Connecticut.
- countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana.
- countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Green Township, Alpena County, Michigan.
- countableuncountableA census-designated place in Mount Olive Township, Morris County, New Jersey.
- countableuncountableA hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York.
- countableuncountableA surname.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*plow-m-“flow”
- Proto-West Germanic*flaumdr“waterlogged land”
- Middle DutchVlâendren pl
- Anglo-NormanFlaundre
- Middle EnglishFlaundres
- EnglishFlanders
From Middle English Flaundres, from Anglo-Norman Flaundre, Flaundres, from Middle Dutch Vlâendren pl, from Vlander, from Old Frisian, from Proto-West Germanic *flaumdr (“waterlogged land”), from *flaum (“flowing, current (water)”) (compare Old High German weraltfloum (“transitoriness of life”), Old Norse flaumr (“eddy”)), from Proto-Indo-European *plow-m- (“flow”) (compare Ancient Greek πλῠ́μα (plŭ́ma, “dishwater, washing water”)). More at flow. "Waterlogged" refers to the mudflats and salt marshes common to coastal Flanders.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Middle Dutch
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic فْلَانْدِر, فْلَانْدِر
- فْلَانْدِر (flāndir)region of Belgium
- فْلَانْدِر (flāndir)community of Belgium
Bulgarian Фландрия, Фландрия
- Фландрия (Flandrija)historical county
- Фландрия (Flandrija)region of Belgium
- Фландрия (Flandrija)community of Belgium
- Фландрия (Flandrija)East Flanders
- Фландрия (Flandrija)West Flanders
- Фла́ндрия (Flándrija)former province of France
- Фла́ндрия (Flándrija)region of France
Catalan Flandes, Flandes
- Flandeshistorical county
- Flandesregion of Belgium
- Flandescommunity of Belgium
- Flandes francèsformer province of France
- Flandes francèsregion of France
Chinese Mandarin 佛蘭德 /佛兰德, 弗蘭德 /弗兰德
- 佛蘭德 /佛兰德 (Fólándé)historical county
- 弗蘭德 /弗兰德 (Fúlándé)historical county
- 佛蘭德 /佛兰德 (Fólándé)region of Belgium
- 弗蘭德 /弗兰德 (Fúlándé)region of Belgium
- 法蘭德斯區 /法兰德斯区 (Fǎlándésī)region of Belgium
- 佛蘭德 /佛兰德 (Fólándé)community of Belgium
- 弗蘭德 /弗兰德 (Fúlándé)community of Belgium
- 法蘭德斯區 /法兰德斯区 (Fǎlándésī)community of Belgium
- 佛蘭德 /佛兰德 (Fólándé)former province of France
- 弗蘭德 /弗兰德 (Fúlándé)former province of France
- 佛蘭德 /佛兰德 (Fólándé)region of France
- 弗蘭德 /弗兰德 (Fúlándé)region of France
Czech Vlámsko, Flandry
- Vlámskohistorical county
- Flandryhistorical county
- Vlámsko n0region of Belgium
- Vlámsko n0community of Belgium
- FlandryEast Flanders
- FlandryWest Flanders
- Flandryformer province of France
- Flandryregion of France
Danish (grevskabet) Flandern, Flandern
- (grevskabet) Flandernhistorical county
- Flandernregion of Belgium
- Flanderncommunity of Belgium
- Flandernformer province of France
- Fransk Flandernformer province of France
- Flandernregion of France
- Fransk Flandernregion of France
Dutch (graafschap) Vlaanderen, Vlaanderen
- (graafschap) Vlaanderenhistorical county
- Vlaanderenregion of Belgium
- Vlaanderencommunity of Belgium
- de VlaandersEast Flanders
- de VlaandersWest Flanders
- Frans-Vlaanderenformer province of France
- Frans-Vlaanderenregion of France
Esperanto Flandrio, Flandrio
- Flandrioregion of Belgium
- Flandriocommunity of Belgium
Estonian Flandria, Flandria
- Flandriahistorical county
- Flandriaregion of Belgium
- Flandriacommunity of Belgium
Finnish Flanderi, Flanderi
- Flanderihistorical county
- Flanderiregion of Belgium
- Flandericommunity of Belgium
- FlanderiEast Flanders
- FlanderiWest Flanders
- Flanderiformer province of France
- Flanderiregion of France
French la Flandre, Flandre
- la Flandrehistorical county
- Flandreregion of Belgium
- Flandresregion of Belgium
- Flandrecommunity of Belgium
- Flandrescommunity of Belgium
- FlandresEast Flanders
- FlandresWest Flanders
- la Flandreformer province of France
- la Flandre françaiseformer province of France
- la Flandreregion of France
- la Flandre françaiseregion of France
German Flandern, Flandern
- Flandernhistorical county
- Flandernregion of Belgium
- Flanderncommunity of Belgium
- FlandernEast Flanders
- FlandernWest Flanders
- Flandernformer province of France
- Flandernregion of France
Greek Φλάνδρα, Φλάνδρα
- Φλάνδρα (Flándra)historical county
- Φλάνδρα (Flándra)region of Belgium
- Φλάνδρα (Flándra)community of Belgium
- Φλάνδρα (Flándra)East Flanders
- Φλάνδρα (Flándra)West Flanders
- Φλάνδρα (Flándra)former province of France
- Φλάνδρα (Flándra)region of France
Hungarian Flandria, Flandria
- Flandriaregion of Belgium
- Flandriacommunity of Belgium
Irish Flóndras, Flóndras
- Flóndrashistorical county
- Flóndrasregion of Belgium
- Flóndrascommunity of Belgium
- FlóndrasEast Flanders
- FlóndrasWest Flanders
- Flóndrasformer province of France
- Flóndrasregion of France
Italian Fiandre, Fiandre
- Fiandrehistorical county
- Fiandreregion of Belgium
- Fiandrecommunity of Belgium
- FiandreEast Flanders
- FiandreWest Flanders
- Fiandreformer province of France
- Fiandreregion of France
Japanese フランドル, フランダース
- フランドル (Furandoru)historical county
- フランダース (Furandāsu)historical county
- フランデレン (Furanderen)region of Belgium
- フランドル (Furandoru)region of Belgium
- フランデレン (Furanderen)community of Belgium
- フランドル (Furandoru)community of Belgium
- フランデレン州 (Furanderen shū)East Flanders
- フランデレン州 (Furanderen shū)West Flanders
- フランドル (Furandoru)former province of France
- フランドル・フランセーズ (Furandoru furansēzu)former province of France
- フランドル (Furandoru)region of France
- フランドル・フランセーズ (Furandoru furansēzu)region of France
Lithuanian Flandrija, Flandrija
- Flandrijahistorical county
- Flandrijaregion of Belgium
- Flandrijacommunity of Belgium
- Prancūzijos Flandrijaformer province of France
- Prancūzijos Flandrijaregion of France
Persian فلاندر
- فلاندر (flânder)historical county
Polish Flandria, Flandria
- Flandriahistorical county
- Flandriaregion of Belgium
- Flandriacommunity of Belgium
- Flandria WschodniaEast Flanders
- Flandria ZachodniaWest Flanders
- Flandriaformer province of France
- Flandriaregion of France
Portuguese Flandres, Flandres
- Flandreshistorical county
- Flandresregion of Belgium
- Flandrescommunity of Belgium
- FlandresEast Flanders
- FlandresWest Flanders
- Flandresformer province of France
- Flandresregion of France
Romanian Flandra, Flandra
- Flandraregion of Belgium
- Flandracommunity of Belgium
Russian Фла́ндрия, Фла́ндрия
- Фла́ндрия (Flándrija)historical county
- Фла́ндрия (Flándrija)region of Belgium
- Фла́ндрия (Flándrija)community of Belgium
- Фла́ндрия (Flándrija)East Flanders
- Фла́ндрия (Flándrija)West Flanders
- Фла́ндрия (Flándrija)former province of France
- Фла́ндрия (Flándrija)region of France
Scottish Gaelic Flannras, Flannras
- Flannrashistorical county
- Flannrasregion of Belgium
- Flannrascommunity of Belgium
- FlannrasEast Flanders
- FlannrasWest Flanders
- Flannrasformer province of France
- Flannrasregion of France
Spanish Flandes, Flandes
- Flandeshistorical county
- Flandesregion of Belgium
- Flandescommunity of Belgium
- FlandesEast Flanders
- FlandesWest Flanders
- Flandesformer province of France
- Flandesregion of France
Swedish Flandern, Flandern
- Flandernregion of Belgium
- Flanderncommunity of Belgium
Thai แฟลนเดอร์ส, แฟลนเดอร์ส
- แฟลนเดอร์ส (flɛn-də̂əs)region of Belgium
- แฟลนเดอร์ส (flɛn-də̂əs)community of Belgium
Welsh Fflandrys, Fflandrys
- Fflandryshistorical county
- Fflandrysregion of Belgium
- Fflandryscommunity of Belgium
- FflandrysEast Flanders
- FflandrysWest Flanders
- Fflandrysformer province of France
- Fflandrysregion of France
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with Flanders
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
Flanders. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Flanders
MLA
“Flanders.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Flanders. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Flanders,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Flanders.
Source: Flanders on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.