South America

American  

noun

1. a continent in the S part of the Western Hemisphere. About 6,900,000 sq. mi. (17,871,000 sq. km).

---

South America British  

noun

1. the fourth largest of the continents, bordering on the Caribbean in the north, the Pacific in the west, and the Atlantic in the east and joined to Central America by the Isthmus of Panama. It is dominated by the Andes Mountains, which extend over 7250 km (4500 miles) and include many volcanoes; ranges from dense tropical jungle, desert, and temperate plains to the cold wet windswept region of Tierra del Fuego. Pop (Latin America and the Caribbean): 558 281 000 (2005 est). Area: 17 816 600 sq km (6 879 000 sq miles)

---

South America Cultural  

1. Continent in the Western Hemisphere, connected to North America by the Isthmus of Panama.

---

Discover More

All of the Latin American nations in South America and Central America achieved their independence from Spain or Portugal in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Exploration of the continent began in the sixteenth century with the Portuguese claiming what is now Brazil and the Spanish claiming most of the remaining land. Settlement was accompanied by the defeat of many of the Native American cultures, including the Inca Empire.

Other Word Forms

• South American
  adjective

Example Sentences

He and his wife, Maria C. Klein, just returned from a trip to South America and are planning another trip to the Caribbean and South America later this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 11, 2026

Although the song “Undercover of the Night” nicely melds a solid guitar riff with trenchant lyrics about political corruption and violence in South America, the rest of the album wilts.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

Six European sides plus one each from Africa and South America will attempt to get to within a game of the final in four compelling matches starting on Thursday.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026

The source told AFP that "close associates" who have known the cardinal for years reported similar behaviour when he was a missionary in South America.

From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026

Epidemics of yellow fever also struck numerous cities in South America, Europe, Russia, and West Africa.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy