Vancouver Island

American  

[van-koo-ver ahy-luhnd] / vænˈku vər ˈaɪ lənd /

noun

1. a major island of British Columbia, Canada, off the southwest coast of the mainland: the largest and most populous island of all the Americas’ west coasts. 12,408 sq. mi. (32,135 sq. km).

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Etymology

Origin of Vancouver Island

First recorded in 1845–50; named after British Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver (1757–1798)

Example Sentences

They also enjoyed mountain biking and hiking along the fjords of Vancouver Island.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

Off the coast of Vancouver Island, in the Cascadia region, scientists have now seen that "train wreck" unfolding.

From Science Daily • Oct. 25, 2025

At his very final stop in the far West, in the isolation of Victoria, Vancouver Island, with only half an hour of campaigning allowed, Carney went "unplugged" among supporters.

From BBC • May 3, 2025

And there was the catastrophic mega-tsunami of 1700, originating from a magnitude 9 earthquake over the Cascadia fault system, which runs offshore from Northern California to Vancouver Island for 700 miles.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2024

He found just what he wanted in the misty woods surrounding Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown