Pacific Islands

American  

[puh-sif-ik ahy-luhndz] / pəˈsɪf ɪk ˈaɪ ləndz /

plural noun

1. the islands and island groups of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, located in the western and central Pacific Ocean.

2. Usually Pacific islands. (loosely) these islands together with the other islands in the Pacific Ocean, such as the continent of Australia and the Asia-related Indonesian, Philippine, and Japanese islands: Breadfruit is a tree native to the Pacific islands.

   There are spineless forms of prickly pear grown commonly in Australia and some of the other Pacific islands.

   Breadfruit is a tree native to the Pacific islands.

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Pacific Islands British  

plural noun

1. a former Trust Territory; an island group in the W Pacific Ocean, mandated to Japan after World War I and assigned to the US by the United Nations in 1947: comprised 2141 islands (96 inhabited) of the Caroline, Marshall, and Mariana groups (excluding Guam). In 1978 the Northern Marianas became a commonwealth in union with the US. The three remaining entities consisting of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau (or Belau), and the Federated States of Micronesia became self-governing during the period 1979–80. In 1982 they signed agreements of free association with the US. Land area: about 1800 sq km (700 sq miles), scattered over about 7 500 000 sq km (3 000 000 sq miles) of ocean

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Pacific Islands Cultural  

1. Consisting of the Caroline Islands, the Marshall Islands, and the Marianas Islands, covering a vast area of the Pacific Ocean, including more than two thousand islands and islets. Held by the United States under United Nations trusteeship.

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Etymology

Origin of Pacific Islands

First recorded in 1795–1800

Example Sentences

The project brought together graduate students, undergraduate students, and recent alumni from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, along with collaborators from France and the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center's Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program.

From Science Daily • Nov. 18, 2025

The fly-half is one of six indigenous players, with the rest of the squad made up of men with Pacific Islands heritage.

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2025

Cook, who lives in Chico, will be responsible for implementing and enforcing federal environmental laws in Region 9, which includes California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and 148 tribal nations.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2025

The Pacific Islands are scattered across a vast area of ocean, with some of the clearest waters in the world, and pristine beaches and rainforests.

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2024

We are, as you will have gathered from our first address, diamond and precious stone merchants, and we do a very large business in the East generally; also among the Pacific Islands and in Australia.

From A Crime of the Under-seas by Boothby, Guy Newell