Indian subcontinent

American

[in-dee-uhn suhb-kon-tn-uhnt, suhb-kon-] / ˈɪn di ən sʌbˈkɒn tn ənt, ˈsʌbˌkɒn- /

noun

a subcontinent in southern Asia, physically occupied by Pakistan, the Republic of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, and geopolitically including Sri Lanka, an island republic off the southeast tip of India, and the Maldives, an archipelagic republic southwest of Sri Lanka.

Etymology

Origin of Indian subcontinent

First recorded in 1895–1900

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.

While it belonged to the extinct madtsoiidae family, researchers say it represents a unique lineage that originated on the Indian subcontinent.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

DIA’s brief to Congress didn’t mention the group on the Indian subcontinent at all.

From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026

Audrey Truschke’s single-volume work makes a bold attempt to capture thousands of years of cultural ferment on the Indian subcontinent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

The Pamir -- "a very special place... the roof of the world" -- particularly fascinates scientists, Stocker said, because it is a climatic crossroads, redirecting moist air from Europe towards the Indian subcontinent.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

My comparison of the histories of China, the Indian subcontinent, and Europe in the epilogue of GGS suggested an answer to this question as applied to technological innovation in whole countries.

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023