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

China’s return to its program of building new islands in the South China Sea has passed almost unnoticed in Washington, where attention is firmly fixed on the Middle East.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

He added that China had conducted a "routine patrol" of the South China Sea from February 23 to 26.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

On most other issues, the Vietnamese government actively works to contain anti-China sentiment, but criticism affirming Hanoi's claims in the South China Sea is one of very few forms of protest it deems acceptable.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

It is possible now to invest instead in lots of individual emerging markets without going anywhere near the South China Sea.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 6, 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