The Hague

See also: Hague and hague

English

Alternative forms

  • the Hague (now nonstandard)

Etymology

From the French translation (confused with La Hague) of Dutch Den Haag, short form of 's-Gravenhage, from Middle Dutch des Graven hage (1400s), literally, "the Count's hedge[-enclosed hunting grounds]",

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ðə ˈhæɡ/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ðə ˈheɪɡ/
    • Audio (Southern England):(file)

Proper noun

The Hague

  1. A city, the capital of South Holland, Netherlands; the administrative capital of the Netherlands.
  2. A municipality of South Holland, Netherlands.
  3. (metonymic) The International Criminal Court or International Court of Justice.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

The Hague (uncountable)

  1. A conviction and/or punishment for crimes against humanity or war crimes delivered by the International Criminal Court.
    Those men deserve The Hague for what they did.
  2. (by extension, figurative) A conviction and/or punishment for a destructive, harmful or immoral act.