East Asia

American  

[eest ey-zhuh, ey-shuh] / ˈist ˈeɪ ʒə, ˈeɪ ʃə /

noun

1. the countries and land area of easternmost Asia, most commonly classified as comprising China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao.

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Other Word Forms

• East Asian adjective

Etymology

Origin of East Asia

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

Based on its features, scientists classified it as a thescelosaurid, a group of two-legged dinosaurs found in East Asia and North America that may have had fuzzy coverings.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

South East Asia, in particular, is highly exposed to the blockage in the Persian Gulf.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Munitions used in Ukraine aren’t available in the Middle East—and those currently being used will not be available in East Asia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

India lacks such large inventories, but as prices climb, it may opt to buy the copious volumes of sanctioned crude oil currently in floating storage, mainly in East Asia.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

It is not the case that all cultural advances in East Asia stemmed from China and that Koreans, Japanese, and tropical Southeast Asians were noninventive barbarians who contributed nothing.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond