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• Western Hemisphere
  Western Hemisphere

  noun

  the western part of the terrestrial globe, roughly extending from the prime meridian west to the antimeridian: sometimes considered synonymous with the New World because the Americas are its primary composition, the Western Hemisphere technically extends into western Eurasia and Africa, easternmost Siberia, and part of Antarctica as well.
• western hemisphere
  western hemisphere

  noun

  that half of the globe containing the Americas, lying to the west of the Greenwich or another meridian

Western Hemisphere

American  

[wes-tern hem-i-sfeer] / ˈwɛs tərn ˈhɛm ɪˌsfɪər /

noun

1. the western part of the terrestrial globe, roughly extending from the prime meridian west to the antimeridian: sometimes considered synonymous with the New World because the Americas are its primary composition, the Western Hemisphere technically extends into western Eurasia and Africa, easternmost Siberia, and part of Antarctica as well.

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western hemisphere British  

noun

1. that half of the globe containing the Americas, lying to the west of the Greenwich or another meridian

2. the lands contained in this, esp the Americas

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Western Hemisphere Scientific  

/ wĕs′tərn /

1. The half of the Earth that includes North America, Central America, and South America, as divided roughly by the 0° and 180° meridians.

2. See more at prime meridian

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Etymology

Origin of Western Hemisphere

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Western Hemisphere western hemisphere

“NABEP is increasing oil production for the Western Hemisphere, as promised,” said a spokesman for the company, which is led by Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Hours before Milei's speech, Sarah Rogers, a senior official in the US state department, posted a photo of herself with Milei alongside the caption: "Exciting things are happening in the Western Hemisphere."

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

The Pentagon’s defense strategy issued in January signaled that the U.S. would reduce its military presence in Europe as it focuses more on the western Pacific and the Western Hemisphere.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

In the short term, it will probably drive some countries back to burning coal and accelerate oil drilling in the Western Hemisphere.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

We spent the afternoon with English for You and Me, learning how to diagram sentences—as if there was some reason why anyone in the Western Hemisphere needed to know how to do this.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt

Kelty is worried that with the onset of the summer planting season in the western hemisphere, the lack of fertilizer could reduce crop yields and lead to higher inflation going forward.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026

The country, once one of the poorest nations in the western hemisphere, and a former British colony, has been enjoying a surge in wealth since it first discovered oil in its territorial waters in 2015.

From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2025

He died even after receiving treatment, the first documented such instance in the western hemisphere.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2023

Relations between the U.S. and Mexico were strained by the June summit that was supposed to be about unity among western hemisphere nations.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 28, 2022

Malcolm was one of the smartest men in the western hemisphere.

From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson