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

Last autumn, Regan set off on a solo trip around South East Asia, taking a "massive" backpack containing all her medication for the trip.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

Russia is now able to carry out 90% of the drone manufacturing process domestically, mostly with materials sourced from East Asia.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Huge oil tankers usually headed from the Gulf to East Asia can carry about 2 million barrels of oil, while smaller tankers headed to the Suez Canal are able to carry about 1 million barrels.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026

The political future of East Asia depends in large part on their success in rediscovering those ancient bonds between them.

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