archipelago

noun

ar·​chi·​pel·​a·​go ˌär-kə-ˈpe-lə-ˌgō How to pronounce archipelago (audio)
ˌär-chə-
plural archipelagoes or archipelagos
1
: an expanse of water with many scattered islands
2
: a group of islands
3
: something resembling an archipelago
especially : a group or scattering of similar things
an archipelago of small parks within the city

Did you know?

The Greeks called it the Aegean Pelagos and the Italians referred to it as Arcipelago (meaning "chief sea"), but English speakers now call it the Aegean Sea. Numerous islands dot its expanse, and 16th-century English speakers adopted a modified form of its Italian name for any sea with a similar scattering of islands. In time, archipelago came to refer to the groups of islands themselves, and now it is often used figuratively, as in, for example, "an archipelago of high-rise buildings."

Examples of archipelago in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web According to Australians South Caicos, Turks and Caicos While Turks and Caicos is certainly not a new destination for romantic vacations, most visitors flock to Providenciales, the first major stopping point on the tropical archipelago. Claudia Fisher, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 Since the late seventh century, the government of the Japanese archipelago had established a bureau in charge of the well-being of aristocratic families and high-ranking members of the state bureaucracy. Alessandro Poletto, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2024 Although Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation of more than 270 million people, is often presented as one of Australia’s most important neighbors and strategic allies, the relationship hasn't always been smooth. Andi Jatmiko and Niniek Karmini, Quartz, 23 Feb. 2024 About 205 million people are registered to vote in this sprawling archipelago of about 17,000 islands, roughly 7,000 of which are inhabited. Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024 Lahaina, the former center of the kingdom of Kamehameha, exemplifies how the archipelago’s fraught history with colonial forces has contributed to its current reliance on tourism. Crai S. Bower, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Feb. 2024 The main production base, with 70% of its staff, is located in Gran Canaria, Spain, where the group benefits from the 54% animation tax rebate scheme, joining a plethora of animation producers who have moved to the archipelago. Martin Dale, Variety, 23 Jan. 2024 In a statement, the government, which sits in the southern city of Aden, said the vessel is heading toward the Hanish Islands, a Yemeni archipelago in the southern Red Sea. Samy Magdy, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024 Technically a volcanic archipelago consisting of four main islands, almost four-fifths of Japan is covered with mountains. Roger Sands, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'archipelago.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Archipelago Aegean Sea, from Italian Arcipelago, literally, chief sea, from arci- (from Latin archi-) + Greek pelagos sea — more at plagal

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of archipelago was in 1589

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Cite this Entry

“Archipelago.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archipelago. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

archipelago

noun
ar·​chi·​pel·​a·​go ˌär-kə-ˈpel-ə-ˌgō How to pronounce archipelago (audio)
ˌär-chə-
plural archipelagoes or archipelagos
: a wide stretch of water with many scattered islands
also : a group of islands

More from Merriam-Webster on archipelago

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