Micronesia
Americannoun
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one of the three principal divisions of Oceania, comprising the small Pacific islands north of the equator and east of the Philippines, whose main groups are the Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands, and the Marshall Islands.
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Federated States of Micronesia, a group of islands in the western Pacific, in the Caroline Islands, comprising the islands of Pohnpei, Truk, Yap, and Kosrae: formerly a part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and now a self-governing area associated with the United States. 271 square miles (701 square kilometers).
noun
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one of the three divisions of islands in the Pacific (the others being Melanesia and Polynesia); the NW division of Oceania: includes the Mariana, Caroline, Marshall, and Kiribati island groups, and Nauru Island
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an island group in the W Pacific, formerly within the United States Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands: comprises the islands of Truk, Yap, Ponape, and Kosrae: formed in 1979 when the islands became self-governing: status of free association with the US from 1982. Languages: English and Micronesian languages. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: US dollar. Capital: Palikir. Pop: 106 104 (2013 est)
Etymology
Origin of Micronesia
C19: from micro- + Greek nēsos island; so called from the small size of many of the islands; on the model of Polynesia
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Satellite observations showed a small Kelvin wave developing near Micronesia in late January before fading by mid-February.
From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026
The compacts of free association with the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau were negotiated to resolve a specific historical reality.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 25, 2026
In all, China operates at least 249 flagged-in vessels, including ones that fish off the coasts of Micronesia, Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco and Iran.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2024
The US Coast Guard said the rescue is an example of the strong coordination between the US and the Federal States of Micronesia, as well as US Navy personnel who are stationed in the area.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2024
Ethnographically it belongs to Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, because all the breeds of the South Pacific have gravitated to it by canoe-drift and intricately, degeneratively, and amazingly interbred.
From The Red One by London, Jack
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
