Saipan

American  

[sahy-pan] / saɪˈpæn /

noun

1. an island in and the capital of the North Mariana Islands in the N Pacific, about 1,350 miles (2,173 km) S of Japan: taken by U.S. forces June–July 1944. 71 sq. mi. (184 sq. km).

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Saipan British  

/ saɪˈpæn /

noun

1. an island in the W Pacific, administrative centre of the US associated territory of the Northern Mariana Islands (on Capitol Hill); captured by the Americans and used as an air base until the end of World War II. Pop: 62 392 (2000). Area: 180 sq km (70 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

The film's title, Saipan, comes from the name of the western Pacific island where the Republic of Ireland went to prepare for the 2002 World Cup.

From BBC • Jan. 4, 2026

People who believe the Japanese captured and killed the aviators have pointed to everything from a generator retrieved in a Saipan harbor in 1960 to a photograph on a Jaluit dock revealed in 2017.

From National Geographic • Jan. 30, 2024

The Imperial is by far the biggest structure on Saipan; the white marble rimmed with gold ornaments looks as if it fell from another dimension next to the downtown district’s squat cement buildings.

From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2023

Military records show he was lost at sea off Saipan in March 1945.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2023

Then, on August 6,1945, a plane took off from the air base on Saipan.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac