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sub-Saharan

American  
[suhb-suh-har-uhn, -hair-uhn, -hahr-uhn] / ˌsʌb səˈhær ən, -ˈhɛər ən, -ˈhɑr ən /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or in Africa south of the Sahara Desert.

    a sub-Saharan country; sub-Saharan peoples.


sub-Saharan British  

adjective

  1. in, of, or relating to Africa south of the Sahara desert

"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

sub-Saharan Cultural  
  1. Region in Africa south of the Sahara desert.


Etymology

Origin of sub-Saharan

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

See Examples For:

Its origins lie in a genetic mutation that arose thousands of years ago in regions of sub-Saharan Africa.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

It is the leading cause of cancer death among women in 26 countries, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in parts of South and Central America.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026

"We remain committed to sub-Saharan Africa, where we continue to see strong growth and opportunity."

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

Groups of young migrants, many of them men from sub-Saharan Africa, could be seen on Thursday gathering in wooded areas and on a beach in the city.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

A second factor is a corresponding, though less extreme, disparity between sub-Saharan Africa and Eurasia in domesticable plants.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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