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.

---

Other Word Forms

• South Asian adjective

Etymology

Origin of South Asia

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

His father continued sending money home - $500 to $600 every month, which is a huge sum in the poor South Asia nation.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Economies in developing Southeast Asia, including the Philippines and Thailand, are likely to see the “most negative growth impacts,” with the largest inflation spikes are expected be felt in South Asia, including India.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

In a region home to more than 35 million migrant workers, mostly from South Asia, many of those killed have been foreign labourers filling the lowest-paid roles in Gulf economies.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

Depending on the destination, Europeans make up a large share of visitors, followed by tourists from South Asia, the Americas, and other Middle Eastern countries.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 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