New Guinea

American  

noun

1. a large island N of Australia, politically divided into the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya (West Irian) and the independent country of Papua New Guinea. About 316,000 sq. mi. (818,000 sq. km).

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New Guinea British  

noun

1. an island in the W Pacific, north of Australia: divided politically into Papua (formerly Irian Jaya, a province of Indonesia) in the west and Papua New Guinea in the east. There is a central chain of mountains and a lowland area of swamps in the south and along the Sepik River in the north. Area: 775 213 sq km (299 310 sq miles)

2. (until 1975) an administrative division of the former Territory of Papua and New Guinea, consisting of the NE part of the island of New Guinea together with the Bismarck Archipelago; now part of Papua New Guinea

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New Guinea Cultural  

1. Island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, north of Australia. The western half of the island is administered by Indonesia.

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New Guinea is the world's second-largest island, after Greenland.

It was named for its resemblance to the Guinea coast of western Africa.

Other Word Forms

• New Guinean
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

New Guinea

That contrast is especially striking in the Bismarck Sea north of Papua New Guinea, where the seafloor remains poorly understood despite its remarkable geological complexity.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026

Australia has greatly upped its diplomatic efforts in response, securing new deals with the likes of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Tuvalu.

From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026

"We have continued to engage constructively with the Papua New Guinea government since their notification of suspension to have these trade restrictions removed," Collins said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Fiji also now have embassies in the city.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

Chapters 16 and 17 integrate developments in Australia and New Guinea into the perspective of the whole region encompassing the East Asian mainland and Pacific islands.

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