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

In parts of Africa, Central America, and India, drought is already strangling crop yields and threatening famine.

From Slate ● Sep. 28, 2026

These rocks formed during a key period when the South American Plate was interacting with the continental portion of Central America.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026

Jessie, an immigrant from Central America, noticed a Flock camera outside her house last month.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

The North American Free Trade Agreement was followed by numerous new bilateral pacts slashing trade barriers, including with Colombia, Chile, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, as well as Central America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Let’s take a look at people and corn in the area that is now Mexico and Central America.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz