South China Sea

American  

noun

1. a part of the western Pacific, bounded by southeastern China, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and the Philippines.

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South China Sea British  

noun

1. part of the Pacific surrounded by SE China, Vietnam, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and the Philippines

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Etymology

Origin of South China Sea

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

South China Sea

On Monday, Philippine and Chinese sailors clashed at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea in what was the first serious seaborne encounter in months.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

The speck was at Scarborough Shoal, a much-contested reef in the South China Sea, a maritime thoroughfare for about a quarter of the world’s seaborne trade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

He focuses on flashpoints like the South China Sea and how countries in the region are rethinking their military tactics, strategy and equipment as the U.S. and China ramp up strategic competition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

The Dong Feng-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile could reach northern Australia if deployed from one of Beijing's artificially built islands in the South China Sea, it said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026

The AO lay along the South China Sea, where things had the feel of a resort, with white beaches and palm trees and friendly little villages.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien