peninsula

American  

[puh-nin-suh-luh, -nins-yuh-luh] / pəˈnɪn sə lə, -ˈnɪns yə lə /

noun

1. an area of land almost completely surrounded by water except for an isthmus connecting it with the mainland.

2. the Peninsula,

   1. Spain and Portugal together; Iberian Peninsula; Iberia.

   2. a district in SE Virginia between the York and James rivers: Civil War battles.

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peninsula ¹ British  

/ pɪˈnɪnsjʊlə /

noun

1. a narrow strip of land projecting into a sea or lake from the mainland

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Peninsula ² British  

noun

1. short for the Iberian Peninsula

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peninsula Scientific  

/ pə-nĭn′syə-lə /

1. A piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with a larger landmass.

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peninsula Cultural  

1. A body of land enclosed on three sides by water, jutting out from a larger body of land.

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Usage

The noun peninsula is sometimes confused with the adjective peninsular: the Iberian peninsula (not peninsular )

Other Word Forms

• peninsular adjective
• peninsularism noun
• peninsularity noun
• transpeninsular adjective

Etymology

Origin of peninsula

1530–40; < Latin paenīnsula, equivalent to paen- pen- + īnsula island

Example Sentences

Our planet appears upside down, with the Sahara desert and the Iberian peninsula visible to the left and the eastern portion of South America to the right.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

It hit the U.A.E. oil hub of Jebel Ali, then struck the alternative loading site across the peninsula at Fujeirah.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

Located between Iran’s southern coast and a peninsula shared by Oman and the Emirates, the strait is a tiny section of sea connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

When Cyprus gained its independence in 1960, the UK retained sovereignty over sites, including on the Akrotiri peninsula.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Beneath their gaze, we have dug a trench to divide our peninsula from the island, that our encampment may be more agreeably defended.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson