archipelago

[ahr-kuh-pel-uh-goh]

noun

plural

archipelagos, archipelagoes 

1. a large group or chain of islands.

   the Malay Archipelago.

2. any large body of water with many islands.

3. the Archipelago, the Aegean Sea.

archipelago

/ ˌɑːkɪpəˈleɪdʒɪən, ˌɑːkɪˈpɛlɪˌɡəʊ, ˌɑːkɪpəˈlædʒɪk /

noun

1. a group of islands

2. a sea studded with islands

archipelago

1. A large group of islands.

2. A sea, such as the Aegean, or an area in a sea containing a large number of scattered islands.

archipelago

1. A group of islands near one another.

Other Word Forms

• archipelagic adjective
• archipelagian adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of archipelago¹

1495–1505; alteration ( archi- for arci- ) of Italian arcipelago, alteration of Egeopelago the Aegean Sea < Greek Aigaîon pélagos

Word History and Origins

Origin of archipelago¹

C16 (meaning: the Aegean Sea): from Italian arcipelago, literally: the chief sea (perhaps originally a mistranslation of Greek Aigaion pelagos the Aegean Sea), from _archi- + pelago sea, from Latin pelagus, from Greek pelagos

Example Sentences

In June 2020 the Avontuur finally makes landfall in Horta, in the Azores - a lush, volcanic archipelago off the west coast of Portugal.

From BBC

Almost 47,000 migrants reached the archipelago in 2024, setting a record for a second year, but numbers have been far lower so far this year, the Spanish Interior Ministry said.

From BBC

Landslides and flash floods are not uncommon across the Indonesian archipelago especially during the rainy season and climate change has made the situation worse, officials say.

From BBC

The startling beauty of the archipelago has regularly earned it "world's best beach" titles, and thrust it onto the bucket lists of the globe's most affluent travellers.

From BBC

Boasting nearly 700,000 islands collectively, Sweden, Norway and Finland are home to the most islands in the world, their coastlines dotted by archipelagos that have shaped their history and culture.

From BBC

Related Words

• enclave 
• isle 
• islet 
• peninsula 
• reef