Papua

American  

[pap-yoo-uh, pah-poo-ah] / ˈpæp yu ə, ˈpɑ puˌɑ /

noun

1. Papua New Guinea.

2. Gulf of, an inlet of the Coral Sea on the SE coast of New Guinea.

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Papua British  

/ ˈpæpjʊə /

noun

1. Former name: British New Guinea.  a former territory of Australia, consisting of SE New Guinea and adjacent islands: now part of Papua New Guinea

2. Former names (until 1962): Dutch New Guinea.   Netherlands New Guinea.  Former Indonesian names: Irian Barat.   Irian Jaya.  Former English name: West Irian.  the W part of the island of New Guinea: formerly under Dutch rule, becoming a province of Indonesia in 1963. Capital: Jayapura. Pop: 2 220 934 (2000). Area: 416 990 sq km (161 000 sq miles)

3. an inlet of the Coral Sea in the SE coast of New Guinea

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Example Sentences

A tiny possum with one extra-long finger on each hand is one of two species thought to have been extinct that have been discovered in West Papua, in what's been called an "exceptional" scientific discovery.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

West Papua reveals two species that we thought were extinct.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 6, 2026

The deal is seen as a strategic entry into Papua New Guinea’s energy sector through high-value, long-term infrastructure projects, it adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

"PNG will be hotter," the 38-year-old striker quips from the sidelines of a training pitch, his eye on fixtures in Papua New Guinea.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Then he told her that he was on his way to Isienu, to visit a friend who had just got back from missionary work in Papua New Guinea.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie