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
The archipelago nation has also been battered by two destructive typhoons this month.
—
Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
Their interactions have created a complex network of fault lines across the archipelago.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Across the archipelago, companies such as 22Dogs, Derrotero, Flaming Frames and newcomers like Efectoscopio Blue and Carousel are proving that VFX work can thrive far from the traditional hubs.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Witness the unique wildlife and beautiful views of this archipelago from the sea.
—Jordan Harvey, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for archipelago
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Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
Their interactions have created a complex network of fault lines across the archipelago.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Across the archipelago, companies such as 22Dogs, Derrotero, Flaming Frames and newcomers like Efectoscopio Blue and Carousel are proving that VFX work can thrive far from the traditional hubs.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 10 Oct. 2025
Witness the unique wildlife and beautiful views of this archipelago from the sea.
—Jordan Harvey, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 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 14 Oct. 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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