peninsula

noun

pen·​in·​su·​la pə-ˈnin(t)-s(ə-)lə  -shə-lə 

: a portion of land nearly surrounded by water and connected with a larger body by an isthmus

also : a piece of land jutting out into the water whether with or without a well-defined isthmus

the Italian peninsula

peninsular

pə-ˈnin(t)-s(ə-)lər 

-shə-lər

adjective

Synonyms

• arm
• cape
• foreland
• headland
• ness
• point
• promontory
• spit

Examples of peninsula in a Sentence

They built their house on a narrow peninsula.

the peninsula is constantly buffeted by storms

Recent Examples on the Web

The former camp was used from 1943 to 1961 and sat on nearly 1,738 acres of land located along the Atlantic Ocean on the Cape Cod peninsula. —Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024

Amble along Main Street and the Bearskin Neck peninsula and soak up the artsy vibes. —Amy Thomas, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2024

Unlike most states, Florida’s market is dominated by small startup insurers that sprang up as national carriers withdrew from the storm-prone peninsula. —Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024

Around that same time, Mount Athos saw the arrival of Slavic monks, recently converted from paganism, who became an important presence on the peninsula and remain so today. —Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024

Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, plan to attend a solar eclipse watch party at the Point Iroquois Lighthouse in the upper peninsula. —Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 8 Apr. 2024

Along the East Coast, including the Florida peninsula, the probability jumped to 34% from 21% – which was the average likelihood from 1880-2020. —Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2024

That left everyone scratching their heads a bit, until Kish explained that there’s a picturesque peninsula three hours north called Door County. Door County is known for its cherry production, and while those cherries would be the star of each dish, a mystery lay behind those doors. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024

Set on a narrow peninsula enveloped by tropical waters, the club exudes a captivating island-within-an-island ambiance. —Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin paeninsula, from paene almost + insula island

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

peninsula

noun

pen·​in·​su·​la pə-ˈnin(t)-s(ə-)lə  -ˈnin-chə-lə 

: a piece of land nearly surrounded by water or sticking out into the water

peninsular

-s(ə-)lər 

-chə-lər

adjective

Etymology

from Latin paeninsula "peninsula," from paene- "almost" and insula "island" — related to insulate, isle, isolate