Australia

American  

[aw-streyl-yuh] / ɔˈstreɪl jə /

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.

---

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)

---

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.

---

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

See Examples For:

Australia

"Western Australia has some of the world's largest banded iron formations. If we can unlock this resource at scale, it could be transformative for our energy future," lead author Kaveh Moghanirahimi said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026

From Australia to India, other countries have also been cracking down on the use of social media by teens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

The programme, which partners with local organisations, launched in Canada in 2006, the UK the following year, then Australia in 2013 and Ireland in 2019.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026

"They will challenge the Australia line-up quite nicely if they bowl like this."

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

During the days he worked at his brother Lutfi’s construction-materials store, hearing the stories of Ahmad’s continuing adventures, his trips to China, Australia, South Africa, Holland.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers