Micronesian

American  

[mahy-kruh-nee-zhuhn, -shuhn] / ˌmaɪ krəˈni ʒən, -ʃən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Micronesia, its inhabitants, or their languages.

---

noun

1. a native of Micronesia.

2. the Malayo-Polynesian languages of Micronesia, taken collectively.

Micronesian British  

/ ˌmaɪkrəʊˈniːzɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Micronesia, its inhabitants, or their languages

---

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Micronesia, more akin to the Polynesians than the Melanesians, but having Mongoloid traces

2. a group of languages spoken in Micronesia, belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family

Etymology

Origin of Micronesian

Micronesi(a) + -an

Example Sentences

A similar rescue also took place in Micronesian waters in 2016 when three men whose boat was overturned swam two miles to reach a tiny island, on which they wrote “HELP” in the sand.

From New York Times • Apr. 11, 2024

Nauru, a tiny Micronesian island, was just one of 12 countries that kept diplomatic ties with Taipei.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2024

Waqa's selection was backed by Micronesian nations, including Nauru.

From Reuters • Nov. 10, 2023

Today the four recognized subspecies are now thought to survive on just a few Micronesian and Fijian islands.

From Scientific American • Aug. 28, 2023

Polynesian and Micronesian islands between 1200 B.C. and A.D.

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