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
With 2025 marking both the centennial of the Guna’s autonomous territory and the beginning of what may be a protracted exodus, the archipelago finds itself at a crossroads.
—
Mark Johanson, AFAR Media, 22 Apr. 2025
Located on Vágar, one of the 18 islands that makes up the Danish archipelago between Iceland and Scotland, the lake sits relatively calmly among the rolling green hills that lead to dramatic rock formations.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2025
Norway has sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago but manages it according to the terms of the Spitsbergen, or Svalbard, Treaty that was drawn up in 1920 and which granted certain rights to signatories.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Travelers who want to spend more time exploring the archipelago can opt for a one-way journey to or from Longyearbyen.
—David Nikel, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
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Mark Johanson, AFAR Media, 22 Apr. 2025
Located on Vágar, one of the 18 islands that makes up the Danish archipelago between Iceland and Scotland, the lake sits relatively calmly among the rolling green hills that lead to dramatic rock formations.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2025
Norway has sovereignty over the Svalbard archipelago but manages it according to the terms of the Spitsbergen, or Svalbard, Treaty that was drawn up in 1920 and which granted certain rights to signatories.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Travelers who want to spend more time exploring the archipelago can opt for a one-way journey to or from Longyearbyen.
—David Nikel, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for archipelago
Cite this Entry
“Archipelago.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archipelago. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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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