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

Explanation

Part of Italy is a peninsula, and it's a pretty famous one, because it looks like a boot. A peninsula juts into the water but has at least a narrow a connection to land. If the boot broke off from Italy just below the "knee," it would be an island. The word peninsula, which entered English in the 16th century, comes from the Latin words paene, "almost," and insula, "island." Some confuse an island with a peninsula because both are surrounded by so much water, but a peninsula is connected to a mainland at some point, while an island is completely encircled by water. In most cases, a peninsula is narrow and long, resembling an arm or leg.

Example Sentences

In Kamchatka, a peninsula located almost 4,500 miles from the front lines in Ukraine that hasn’t been struck by drones, the regional governor has appealed to Moscow to lift the restrictions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Officers have searched "a hugely significant area of land and coastline" along the River Blackwater, Dengie peninsula and River Crouch, along with 2.5km on the southern coast of Mersea Island, Det Supt Anna Granger added.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 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

Makaruk says his group successfully identified 2,425 Starlink terminals, from the Crimean peninsula in the south to the city of Gomel in eastern Belarus.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

“There is some sort of secret government project out here on the Virginia peninsula, and they are looking for Colored women who are mathematicians,” Eric told me.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson