Indian subcontinent

American  

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

noun

1. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of Indian subcontinent

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Indian subcontinent

They deployed air force helicopters and other aircraft this week to transport copies of the freshly drafted paper around the country, including to remote areas of the vast Indian subcontinent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

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

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

Only later did domesticates derived from indigenous species of the Indian subcontinent, such as humped cattle and sesame, appear in Indus Valley farming communities.

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