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

Mexico is unbeaten in eight games this year, including wins over World Cup qualifiers Panama, Ghana and Australia and draws with Belgium and Portugal.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

Globally, Australia represents about 59% of seaborne iron ore exports.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

No two El Niños are the same, but a strong event typically fuels hot, dry weather in parts of South America, South East Asia and Australia, raising the chances of droughts and wildfires.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

The campaign kicks off against Paraguay in nearby Los Angeles on Friday, before a detour to Seattle to face Australia, then back to southern California for Turkey.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

So, in places like Australia and the Americas, not only do most of the people speak European languages, much of their music also sounds Western.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones