archipelagic

adjective

ar·​chi·​pe·​lag·​ic ˌär-kə-pə-ˈla-jik How to pronounce archipelagic (audio)
ˌär-chə-
: of, relating to, or located in an archipelago

Examples of archipelagic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web An opposition candidate widely seen as pro-China won a runoff election to be the next president of the Maldives, marking a significant loss for Indian influence in the archipelagic nation. Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2023 In a major setback for the U.S., another archipelagic Pacific nation, the Solomon Islands, signed a security deal with China last year. Ben Gittleson, ABC News, 17 May 2023 The passage, north of where the tanker sank, has the highest concentration of coastal fishes, corals, crustaceans, molluscs, seagrasses, and mangroves in the archipelagic country, and the spill could lead to long-term damage and declining population of these organisms, says Rodriguez. Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 5 Apr. 2023 Palawan, Philippines Voted the number one island in the world by Travel + Leisure three years in a row, this archipelagic country sets the standard on honeymoon backdrops. Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 30 Mar. 2023 Other high-performing countries include Bermuda, another British overseas territory with a population of over 71,000; Monaco, a sovereign city-state with a population of under 39,000; and the Maldives, another archipelagic state in the Indian Ocean with a population of over 500,000. BostonGlobe.com, 28 Mar. 2021 This three-bedroom villa stands over a turquoise lagoon off the island of Medhufaru in Maldives, the archipelagic state comprising almost 1,200 islands in the north-central Indian Ocean. The New York Times, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2022 As the world's largest archipelagic nation, Indonesia is filled with different cultures and influences spread out over 1,904,569 square kilometers (735,358 square miles). Maggie Hiufu Wong, CNN, 27 Nov. 2022 Indonesia, an archipelagic nation of 270 million people, has experienced multiple aviation disasters as its population has become wealthier and air travel has increased. Feliz Solomon and Ismira Lutfia Tisnadibrata, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'archipelagic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of archipelagic was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near archipelagic

Cite this Entry

“Archipelagic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archipelagic. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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