Saipan

American  

[sahy-pan] / saɪˈpæn /

noun

1. an island in and the capital of the North Mariana Islands in the N Pacific, about 1,350 miles (2,173 km) S of Japan: taken by U.S. forces June–July 1944. 71 sq. mi. (184 sq. km).

---

Saipan British  

/ saɪˈpæn /

noun

1. an island in the W Pacific, administrative centre of the US associated territory of the Northern Mariana Islands (on Capitol Hill); captured by the Americans and used as an air base until the end of World War II. Pop: 62 392 (2000). Area: 180 sq km (70 sq miles)

---

Example Sentences

The film's title, Saipan, comes from the name of the western Pacific island where the Republic of Ireland went to prepare for the 2002 World Cup.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026

Between 2017 and 2018, the animal swam nearly 7,000 miles from Saipan, in the Mariana Islands, to Sayulita, Mexico, according to a new study published in Endangered Species Research.

From National Geographic • Sep. 28, 2023

His family was later told he died in Saipan, but his remains were never returned.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 29, 2023

The Imperial is by far the biggest structure on Saipan; the white marble rimmed with gold ornaments looks as if it fell from another dimension next to the downtown district’s squat cement buildings.

From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2023

B-29s from Guam and Saipan passed over Iwo Jima without being attacked.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac