antipodean

[an-tip-uh-dee-uhn]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or originating from places on the opposite side of the globe, especially Australia and New Zealand; antipodal.

   One can only assume that an inch-long European cockroach is of little concern to a woman accustomed to antipodean spiders the size of dinner plates.

2. directly or diametrically opposite; antipodal.

   The vector map includes lines that pass through the antipodean meridian.

noun

1. someone who lives in or comes from the opposite side of the globe, especially Australia or New Zealand.

   As the flooding disaster follows hot on the heels of Australia’s droughts and fires, we antipodeans wonder what we've done to have these natural disasters visited upon us.

Word History and Origins

Origin of antipodean¹

antipode ( def. ) + -an ( def. )

Example Sentences

The league has a slick social media account, a PR representative, and a bunch of promoters - including antipodean sports stars.

From BBC

The rare presence of three Chinese naval ships in the Tasman Sea has put both antipodean countries on alert in recent days, with Australia calling it "unusual".

From BBC

In the meantime, enjoy the holidays — and don’t hesitate to send us your own examples of antipodean wonder.

From New York Times

Rising commodity prices have provided some support to the antipodean currencies, though they have been mostly sideways for the past month or so.

From Reuters

Both antipodean currencies had been among the biggest beneficiaries against a weaker greenback on Monday and gained 0.8% and 0.6%, respectively.

From Reuters