archipelago
noun
ar·chi·pel·a·go
ˌär-kə-ˈpe-lə-ˌgō 
ˌär-chə-
plural archipelagoes or archipelagos
1
: an expanse of water with many scattered islands
2
: a group of islands
3
: something resembling an archipelago
especially
: a group or scattering of similar things
an archipelago of small parks within the city
Did you know?
The Greeks called it the Aegean Pelagos and the Italians referred to it as Arcipelago (meaning "chief sea"), but English speakers now call it the Aegean Sea. Numerous islands dot its expanse, and 16th-century English speakers adopted a modified form of its Italian name for any sea with a similar scattering of islands. In time, archipelago came to refer to the groups of islands themselves, and now it is often used figuratively, as in, for example, "an archipelago of high-rise buildings."
Examples of archipelago in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cook Islands, an archipelago of 15 islands in the vast South Pacific Ocean, is among many small nations in the region to be courted by Beijing, which has offered aid, loans and deals throughout the Pacific to increase its sway.
—
ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
And nowhere is that more apparent than Lago Maggiore, where a tiny archipelago that has belonged to the esteemed House of Borromeo for centuries is framed by sapphire waters and Alpine peaks.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 31 Mar. 2026
An airport offers, if not exactly an equitable experience (there are Clear lines, lounge archipelagos), then at least a perceptible simulacrum of equality, in that everyone rides the same people movers past the same Cinnabons.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Halal food choices are within reach anywhere in this archipelago, most especially in the predominantly Muslim island of Mindanao.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
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ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
And nowhere is that more apparent than Lago Maggiore, where a tiny archipelago that has belonged to the esteemed House of Borromeo for centuries is framed by sapphire waters and Alpine peaks.
—Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 31 Mar. 2026
An airport offers, if not exactly an equitable experience (there are Clear lines, lounge archipelagos), then at least a perceptible simulacrum of equality, in that everyone rides the same people movers past the same Cinnabons.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
Halal food choices are within reach anywhere in this archipelago, most especially in the predominantly Muslim island of Mindanao.
—Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for archipelago
Cite this Entry
“Archipelago.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archipelago. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
archipelago
noun
ar·chi·pel·a·go
ˌär-kə-ˈpel-ə-ˌgō
ˌär-chə-
plural archipelagoes or archipelagos
: a wide stretch of water with many scattered islands
also
: a group of islands
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