# Flanders

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈflɑːn.dəz/ · frequency rank #18,824

## Definitions
1. A cultural region in the north of Belgium.
2. A historical county of Western Europe; in full, County of Flanders.
3. A region of Belgium. Official name: Flemish Region.
4. A community of Belgium. Official name: Flemish Community.
5. Two provinces in Belgian Flanders, West Flanders and East Flanders.
6. Ellipsis of French Flanders: a former province of France.
7. Ellipsis of French Flanders: a region of France.
8. Ellipsis of Zeelandic Flanders: a region of Zeeland, the Netherlands.
9. The principal railway station in Lille, capital of the above.
10. An unincorporated community in Mount Olive, Morris County, New Jersey, United States.
11. A surname.

## Etymology
From Middle English Flaunders, Flaundress, flawndirs, from Old French Flandres, from Middle Dutch Vlâendren pl, from Vlander, from Old Frisian, from Proto-Germanic *flaumdrą (“waterlogged land”), from *flaumaz (“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.

## Easily confused with
- **flanker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flanders-vs-flanker)
- **flinders** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flanders-vs-flinders)
- **Flannery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flanders-vs-flannery)
- **Fenders** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fenders-vs-flanders)

## Common misspellings (13)
`falnders`, `fflanders`, `fladners`, `flandders`, `flanderrs`, `flanderss`, `flandesr`, `flandres`, `flanedrs`, `flannders`, `fllanders`, `flnaders`, `lfanders`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/flanders