Australia

American  

[aw-strayl-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.

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Australia

While investigative genetic genealogy has been adopted in countries such as Sweden, Denmark and Australia, it is not yet used in the UK.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

SYDNEY—Australia’s inflation outlook is “materially worse” and coming third quarter inflation data are likely to confirm that view, Andrew Hauser, deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia said Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

And far-right Senator Pauline Hanson said "violence against any elected representative, whoever they are and whatever they stand for, is never acceptable in Australia".

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026

Walsh, who had not played since 15 August amid injury troubles, was rusty as Australia were pushed by New Zealand in a thrilling World Cup opening match last Thursday.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Eucalyptus trees were rare in Australia 45,000 years ago.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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