Magellan

American  

[muh-jel-uhn] / məˈdʒɛl ən /

noun

1. Ferdinand, c1480–1521, Portuguese navigator: discoverer of the Strait of Magellan 1520 and the Philippines 1521.

2. Strait of Magellan, Also Straits of Magellan a strait near the southern tip of South America between the mainland of Chile and Tierra del Fuego and other islands, connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. 360 miles (580 kilometers) long.

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Magellan ¹ British  

/ məˈɡɛlən /

noun

1. a strait between the mainland of S South America and Tierra del Fuego, linking the S Pacific with the S Atlantic. Length: 600 km (370 miles). Width: up to 32 km (20 miles)

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Magellan ² British  

/ məˈɡɛlən /

noun

1. Ferdinand. Portuguese name Fernão de Magalhães. ?1480–1521, Portuguese navigator in the service of Spain. He commanded an expedition of five ships that set out to sail to the East Indies via the West. He discovered the Strait of Magellan (1520), crossed the Pacific, and reached the Philippines (1521), where he was killed by natives. One of his ships reached Spain (1522) and was therefore the first to circumnavigate the world

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Other Word Forms

• Magellanic
  adjective

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Magellan

During his 13-year tenure, the Magellan Fund went from less than $20 million in assets to $14 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

“You probably don’t need supersophistication if you have $500,000 or less,” said Joe Lukacs, an adviser coach and founder of Magellan Network.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 10, 2026

From 1990 to 1992, NASA's Magellan spacecraft mapped Venus using a Synthetic Aperture Radar system.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026

A few years later, scorned by the king, Magellan is limping around Lisbon like a scruffy, taskless animal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026

Chief Lapu Lapu led a rebellion, ultimately killing Magellan on April 27, 1521.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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