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

See Examples For:

South China Sea

The United States and its allies condemned on Tuesday China's "dangerous" behaviour after a clash the previous day between Chinese and Philippine sailors in the disputed South China Sea, a crucial route for global trade.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

On Monday, Philippine and Chinese sailors clashed at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea in what was the first serious seaborne encounter in months.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

The speck was at Scarborough Shoal, a much-contested reef in the South China Sea, a maritime thoroughfare for about a quarter of the world’s seaborne trade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

He focuses on flashpoints like the South China Sea and how countries in the region are rethinking their military tactics, strategy and equipment as the U.S. and China ramp up strategic competition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

In the South China Sea, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Constellation, twenty-six-year-old Navy Lieutenant Everett Alvarez zipped up his flight suit.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin