Spratly Islands

British

/ ˈsprætlɪ /

noun

a widely-scattered group of uninhabited islets and reefs in the S South China Sea, the subject of territorial claims wholly or in part by six neighbouring nations Compare Paracel Islands

"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

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The Paracel and Spratly Islands are also believed to sit atop stores of natural resources and potential energy reserves.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Manila's coast guard said the incident took place near Thitu Island, part of the Spratly Islands where Beijing has sought to assert its sovereignty claims for years.

From Barron's • Oct. 12, 2025

Each side blamed the other for the collision, which occurred between a Chinese vessel and a Philippine supply ship near the Spratly Islands.

From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2024

Navy said its guided-missile destroyer USS Milius conducted a navigational rights and freedoms mission in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands on Monday.

From Reuters • Apr. 10, 2023

Spratly Islands: Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing.

From The 2001 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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