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

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

Meteorologists say it was mainly because of the interaction between the already existing monsoon system in the Indian subcontinent and westerly disturbances, a low pressure system that originates in the Mediterranean region and travels eastward.

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2025

Another area where local domestication appears to have followed the arrival of Southwest Asian founder crops is the Indus Valley region of the Indian subcontinent.

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