South Asia

American  

[south ey-zhuh, ey-shuh] / ˈsaʊθ ˈeɪ ʒə, ˈeɪ ʃə /

noun

1. the countries and land area of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan.

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Other Word Forms

• South Asian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of South Asia

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

South Asia

In a report last year, the World Bank found that Pakistan has lost economic ground compared with the rest of South Asia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

But across Europe, East Asia and South Asia, the turn is toward nuclear power.

From Salon ● May 21, 2026

South Asia has a long history of people assigned male at birth but who identify as female.

From Barron's ● May 3, 2026

This phenomenon is most evident on the African continent, where the number and weight of acts of terrorist violence have shifted from the Middle East and South Asia in recent years.

From Slate ● Apr. 21, 2026

Almost forty species of cotton exist worldwide, of which four have been domesticated, two in the Americas, two in the Middle East and South Asia.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann