South Pacific

American  

[south puh-sif-ik] / ˈsaʊθ pəˈsɪf ɪk /

noun

1. the region of the world that lies in the Southern Hemisphere of the Pacific Ocean, including all the coastal countries, islands, and archipelagos located there.

   expanding their commercial interests in the South Pacific.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the region of the world that lies in the Southern Hemisphere of the Pacific Ocean, often specifically to the South Pacific Ocean itself.

   studying the South Pacific trenches.

Etymology

Origin of South Pacific

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

South Pacific

Taiwan today is officially recognized by only a dozen countries—mostly in Latin America, along with a few small island nations in the South Pacific, the Vatican and Eswatini, a landlocked African nation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Many South Pacific countries, with aid-dependent economies and indebted to Chinese banks for infrastructure loans, are reluctant to publicly criticise Beijing, although the Solomon Islands on Tuesday said it had protested over the missile firing.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

During World War II, she went to the theaters of war in the South Pacific and wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column six days a week for decades.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

Although the South Pacific is home to extraordinarily diverse populations, people from this region have historically been underrepresented in large genetic studies.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026

“Look here,” he said, “while our boy Ned has been up in shady Honolulu we’ve been down here in the sunny South Pacific working on our tans.”

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