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Hispaniola

American  
[his-puhn-yoh-luh, ees-pahn-yaw-lah] / ˌhɪs pənˈyoʊ lə, ˌis pɑnˈyɔ lɑ /

noun

  1. an island in the West Indies, comprising the republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 29,843 sq. mi. (77,293 sq. km).


Hispaniola British  
/ ˌhɪspənˈjəʊlə, ispaˈɲola /

noun

  1. Former name: Santo Domingo.  the second largest island in the Caribbean, in the Greater Antilles: divided politically into Haiti and the Dominican Republic; discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, who named it La Isla Española. Area: 18 703 sq km (29 418 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

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.

Much like in the U.S., immigration is a contentious topic in the Dominican Republic — the country shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, which has seen an exodus of its people over the decade.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Another major hot spot stretches across parts of the North Atlantic near and east of Cuba, Hispaniola and Florida.

From Science Daily • Dec. 25, 2025

In the Dominican Republic, located on the eastern side of Hispaniola, one person also died.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

Mr. Abinader is going even further, building a border wall between the two countries that share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

From New York Times • May 19, 2024

On his first voyage in 1492, Columbus started a colony of about forty men on the island he called Hispaniola, which is currently divided into the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

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

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