Papeete

American

[pah-pee-ey-tey, puh-pee-tee] / ˌpɑ piˈeɪ teɪ, pəˈpi ti /

noun

a city on NW Tahiti, in the Society Islands: capital of the Society Islands and of French Polynesia.

Papeete British

/ ˌpɑːpɪˈiːtɪ /

noun

the capital of French Polynesia, on the NW coast of Tahiti: one of the largest towns in the S Pacific. Pop: 130 000 (2005 est)

"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 flight from Melbourne was headed to Dallas on Friday when it was forced to make a stop-off in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, due to the disruptive passenger.

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

Even before you board the plane for Tetiaroa, a bio-inspection point in Papeete intercepts any items that could endanger Tetiaroa’s native ecosystem.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2024

Those that told you how to find your way to Aunt Agatha in Dubuque or how to sail from Papeete to Panama?

From Washington Post • Apr. 28, 2023

The Associated Press took similar footage of Macron at the airport near Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 30, 2021

After his return to the house from Papeete, she had resumed with him the old life and had given birth to a child.

From Paul Gauguin, His Life and Art by Fletcher, John Gould

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