South Pacific

American  

[south puh-sif-ik] / ˈsaʊθ pəˈsɪf ɪk /

noun

1. the region of the world that lies in the Southern Hemisphere of the Pacific Ocean, including all the coastal countries, islands, and archipelagos located there.

   expanding their commercial interests in the South Pacific.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the region of the world that lies in the Southern Hemisphere of the Pacific Ocean, often specifically to the South Pacific Ocean itself.

   studying the South Pacific trenches.

Etymology

Origin of South Pacific

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

On the even of the conflict in Iran, the South Pacific economy had faced uneven growth, high spare capacity and elevated unemployment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

A military official said the collision was in the Southern Command area of responsibility, which includes the Caribbean and parts of the South Atlantic and South Pacific.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

The study was led by Jasha Dehm of the University of the South Pacific and shows especially high contamination levels in Fiji.

From Science Daily • Feb. 3, 2026

"France's propaganda was very powerful," she told AFP, adding that in school she had only learned about the tests' positive economic impact for France's South Pacific islands and atolls.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

The expedition was lost in the South Pacific in 1788; La Perouse and all but one of the members of his crew perished.'

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan