Australia

American  

[aw-streyl-yuh] / ɔˈstreɪl yə /

noun

1. a continent southeast of Asia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. 2,948,366 square miles (7,636,270 square kilometers).

2. Commonwealth of Australia, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, consisting of the federated states and territories of Australia and Tasmania. 2,974,581 square miles (7,704,165 square kilometers). Canberra.

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Australia British  

/ ɒˈstreɪlɪə /

noun

1. a country and the smallest continent, situated between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific: a former British colony, now an independent member of the Commonwealth, constitutional links with Britain formally abolished in 1986; consists chiefly of a low plateau, mostly arid in the west, with the basin of the Murray River and the Great Dividing Range in the east and the Great Barrier Reef off the NE coast. Official language: English. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: dollar. Capital: Canberra. Pop: 23 029 674 (2013 est). Area: 7 682 300 sq km (2 966 150 sq miles)

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Australia Cultural  

1. Nation occupying the whole of Australia, the smallest continent, between the Indian Ocean and the southwest Pacific Ocean. Its capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney.

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Discover More

The first settlements there were penal colonies for British convicts.

Its aboriginal tribes, which still exist today (see aborigines), are thought to have migrated from Southeast Asia twenty thousand years ago.

Compare meaning

How does australia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Oceania vs. Australia

Example Sentences

Double Summer Paralympic gold medallist Lauren Parker will make her Winter Games debut when she represents Australia in the biathlon and cross-country events.

From Barron's

These so called "drought hubs" include Australia, South America, southern Africa, and parts of North America.

From Science Daily

This defeat brings to an end England's winter – one that began in Wellington and ends at the Wankhede, via a trip to Australia.

From BBC

The U.S. opposed a resolution at the U.N. atomic agency that was backed by a host of European countries, Australia, Canada, Argentina and Chile, among others.

From The Wall Street Journal

Had England lost heavily here, the scrutiny on coach Brendon McCullum would have ramped up given this tournament follows the Ashes defeat in Australia.

From BBC