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Caribbean Sea

American  

noun

  1. a part of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by Central America, the West Indies, and South America. About 750,000 square miles (1,943,000 square kilometers); greatest known depth 22,788 feet (6,946 meters).


Caribbean Sea British  

noun

  1. an almost landlocked sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, bounded by the Caribbean islands, Central America, and the N coast of South America. Area: 2 718 200 sq km (1 049 500 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Caribbean Sea Cultural  
  1. Arm of the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by the West Indies to the north and east, South America to the south, and Central America to the west.


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Since announcing the Monroe Doctrine in 1823, the United States has considered the Caribbean within its “sphere of influence” — that is, a region where United States interests are directly affected. The policy has been to exclude foreign powers, though after 1959, Cuba came under strong influence of the Soviet Union.

Its clear blue waters make many of its islands popular vacation spots.

Etymology

Origin of Caribbean Sea

First recorded in 1760–65

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.

See Examples For:

The U.S. has not revealed the exact location of any of the 64 strikes it has carried out, saying only that they occurred in international waters in the Pacific Ocean or Caribbean Sea.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 20, 2026

In December, he described the experience in detail in a private briefing for aides of Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who had sought information on civilian casualty protocols involving boat strikes in the Caribbean Sea.

From Salon Mar. 11, 2026

So far, it has confirmed five locations including Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, an airfield known as La Carlota and Port La Guaira, Caracas' main conduit to the Caribbean Sea.

From BBC Jan. 3, 2026

The "active pursuit" in the Caribbean Sea was happening a day after the Coast Guard seized its second vessel off Venezuela in two weeks.

From Barron's Dec. 22, 2025

She followed her directional line over the Caribbean Sea and caught up with Drum as they were approaching the Isthmus of Panama.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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