Polynesia

American  

[pol-uh-nee-zhuh, -shuh] / ˌpɒl əˈni ʒə, -ʃə /

noun

1. one of the three principal divisions of Oceania, comprising those island groups in the Pacific Ocean lying east of Melanesia and Micronesia and extending from the Hawaiian Islands south to New Zealand.

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Polynesia British  

/ ˌpɒlɪˈniːʒə, -ʒɪə /

noun

1. one of the three divisions of islands in the Pacific, the others being Melanesia and Micronesia: includes Samoa, Society, Marquesas, Mangareva, Tuamotu, Cook, and Tubuai Islands, and Tonga

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Polynesia Cultural  

1. Group of islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean, including the islands of the state of Hawaii and the islands of French Polynesia. Tahiti and Samoa are in Polynesia, which means “many islands.”

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Etymology

Origin of Polynesia

C18: via French from _poly- + Greek nēsos island

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Polynesia

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

In Borneo, a mythic spider brings forth life by feeding a tree; in Polynesia, spider-silk ladders connect heaven and earth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

Alternating every two or three chapters, Ms. Seve and the actor Caleb Teaupa unfurl a blood- and brine-soaked epic set in and around the islands of long-ago Polynesia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026

Pasifika heritage encompasses the indigenous peoples of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia, with Upper Hutt-born Rennie having Cook Islands links through his mother.

From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026

Such an experiment unfolded during the settlement of Polynesia.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond