Central America

American  

noun

1. continental North America, S of Mexico, usually considered as comprising Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. 227,933 sq. mi. (590,346 sq. km).

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Central America British  

noun

1. an isthmus joining the continents of North and South America, extending from the S border of Mexico to the NW border of Colombia and consisting of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Area: about 518 000 sq km (200 000 sq miles)

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Central America Cultural  

1. Region in the southernmost portion of North America, linked to South America by the Isthmus of Panama; includes Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

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The United States government has often taken the position that Central American affairs directly affect American interests. Accordingly, it has often provided financial and military aid to Central American governments and occasionally intervened militarily.

Countries in Central America (except for Belize and Costa Rica) are characterized by unstable governments and very low per capita income.

Other Word Forms

• Central American
  noun

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Central America

Expected to peak towards the end of the year and bring record global heat in 2027, its consequences are already being felt from drought-hit Central America to Indonesia where it is fueling intense wildfires.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Regions home to around 900 million people experienced their hottest July on record in 2026, including in the Sahel, Central America, France and Spain, according to AFP analysis of Copernicus data.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Prior to Uefa's announcement, Concacaf, which covers North and Central America and hosted this year's World Cup, said in a statement: "We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process."

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

“We are deeply concerned by the lack of due process,” said Concacaf, which oversees the game in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

The journey is hard for the Mexicans but harder still for Enrique and the others from Central America.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario