Southend-on-Sea

American

[south-end-on-see, -awn-] / ˈsaʊθˌɛnd ɒnˈsi, -ɔn- /

noun

a seaport in SE Essex, in SE England, on Thames estuary.

Southend-on-Sea British

/ ˌsaʊθˈɛnd- /

noun

a town in SE England, in SE Essex on the Thames estuary: one of England's largest resorts, extending for about 11 km (7 miles) along the coast. Pop: 160 257 (2001)
a unitary authority in SE England, in Essex. Pop: 160 300 (2003 est). Area: 42 sq km (16 sq miles)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Broomway is a route across flat sands from the shore near Southend-on-Sea to Foulness Island and is home to a Ministry of Defence firing range.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

This means it comes from the same era as the ship burials at Sutton Hoo and Snape, both in east Suffolk, and the Prittlewell Prince, found near Southend-on-Sea in Essex.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

Southend-on-Sea and Chelmsford councils produced the five-unitary model for "Greater Essex", which has a population of 1.9 million.

From BBC • Nov. 19, 2025

Lewis Eager, 26, works two shifts a week in the on-demand delivery service for a supermarket in Southend-on-Sea, earning £850 a month.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2025

There are several seaside watering-places in favour owing to their proximity to London, of which Southend-on-Sea above the mouth of the Thames, Clacton-on-Sea, Walton-on-the-Naze, and Dovercourt adjoining Harwich are the chief.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7 "Equation" to "Ethics" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023