Mindanao

American

[min-duh-nah-oh, -nou, meen-dah-nou] / ˌmɪn dəˈnɑ oʊ, -ˈnaʊ, ˌmin dɑˈnaʊ /

noun

the second largest island of the Philippines, in the S part of the group. 36,537 sq. mi. (94,631 sq. km).

Mindanao British

/ ˌmɪndəˈnaʊ /

noun

the second largest island of the Philippines, in the S part of the archipelago: mountainous and volcanic. Chief towns: Davao, Zamboanga. Pop: 13 626 338 (2000). Area: (including offshore islands) 94 631 sq km (36 537 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

The MV Trisha Kerstin 3 was carrying 344 passengers and crew when it went down off southwestern Mindanao in the early hours of Monday.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

The island of Mindanao, where Davao is located, has a long history of Islamist insurgencies against central government rule.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

The southern region of Mindanao has long been vulnerable to conflict and extremist activity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

He cultivated an image of a tough-talking and anti-establishment man of the masses, endearing him to Filipinos who elected him as the country's first president from the southern island of Mindanao.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2025

Hazleton began buying more monkeys from the Philippines, from the same monkey house near Manila, and restocked the building with crab-eating monkeys that had been trapped in the rain forests of Mindanao.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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