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• peninsula
  peninsula

  noun

  an area of land almost completely surrounded by water except for an isthmus connecting it with the mainland.
• Peninsula
  Peninsula

  noun

  short for the Iberian Peninsula

peninsula

American  

[puh-nin-suh-luh, -nins-yuh-luh] / pəˈnɪn sə lə, -ˈnɪns jə lə /

noun

peninsulas plural

1. an area of land almost completely surrounded by water except for an isthmus connecting it with the mainland.

2. the Peninsula,

   1. Spain and Portugal together; Iberian Peninsula; Iberia.

   2. a district in SE Virginia between the York and James rivers: Civil War battles.

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peninsula ¹ British  

/ pɪˈnɪnsjʊlə /

noun

1. a narrow strip of land projecting into a sea or lake from the mainland

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Peninsula ² British  

noun

1. short for the Iberian Peninsula

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peninsula Scientific  

/ pə-nĭn′syə-lə /

1. A piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with a larger landmass.

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peninsula Cultural  

1. A body of land enclosed on three sides by water, jutting out from a larger body of land.

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Usage

The noun peninsula is sometimes confused with the adjective peninsular: the Iberian peninsula (not peninsular )

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• peninsularism
  noun
• peninsularity
  noun
• peninsular
  adjective
• transpeninsular
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• peninsulas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of peninsula

1530–40; < Latin paenīnsula, equivalent to paen- pen- + īnsula island

Explanation

Part of Italy is a peninsula, and it's a pretty famous one, because it looks like a boot. A peninsula juts into the water but has at least a narrow a connection to land. If the boot broke off from Italy just below the "knee," it would be an island. The word peninsula, which entered English in the 16th century, comes from the Latin words paene, "almost," and insula, "island." Some confuse an island with a peninsula because both are surrounded by so much water, but a peninsula is connected to a mainland at some point, while an island is completely encircled by water. In most cases, a peninsula is narrow and long, resembling an arm or leg.

Example Sentences

Ukrainian strikes have caused fuel shortages, power outages and logistics disruptions across the peninsula.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in 2022, following his covert invasions of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and eastern regions in 2014, Russian forces have captured roughly 12% of Ukraine’s territory.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026

Compound that with domestic crises like a narrowly averted Samsung factory strike and an overall slowdown in non-tech industries, and things have become rather volatile on the peninsula.

From Slate • Jul. 2, 2026

“A large island with eat-in peninsula, built-in desk/coffee bar, and wood beam ceiling detail create both function and warmth, making it a true gathering place.”

From MarketWatch • Jul. 2, 2026

Beneath their gaze, we have dug a trench to divide our peninsula from the island, that our encampment may be more agreeably defended.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson