island

noun, often attributive is·land \ ˈī-lənd \

Definition of island

1 :a tract of land surrounded by water and smaller than a continent

2 :something resembling an island especially in its isolated or surrounded position: such as

a :a usually raised area within a thoroughfare, parking lot, or driveway used especially to separate or direct traffic

b :a superstructure on the deck of a ship (such as an aircraft carrier)

c :a kitchen counter that is approachable from all sides

3 :an isolated group or area; especially :an isolated ethnological group

See island defined for English-language learners

See island defined for kids

Examples of island in a Sentence

He lives on an island in the Caribbean.
the island of Hawaii is the largest in the Hawaiian archipelago

Recent Examples of island from the Web

Joining the protest were dozens of workers from the island’s public power company who launched a 24-hour strike that forced the agency to temporarily close its offices.

— danica coto, The Seattle Times, "Hundreds of Puerto Ricans protest, decry austerity measures," 30 Aug. 2017
Now the Caribbean island wants to add an outpost of Chinese culture, complete with graceful pavilions and regional cuisine.

— rebecca spalding, Bloomberg.com, "Bankrupt Caribbean Paradise Woos Chinese Tourists—and Their Cash," 30 Aug. 2017
And the small Pacific island knows how much North Korea likes to talk.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "North Korea: Missile Launch Was a ‘Prelude’ to a Guam Attack," 30 Aug. 2017
Trump+Harvey: Hurricane Tropical Storm Harvey made a third landfall in Louisiana today, leaving at least 22 dead in Texas and an island chain that used to be Houston.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Potholes and police at issue as Broward budgets take shape," 30 Aug. 2017
North Korea: The country sent a missile to fly over Japan’s northernmost island on Monday night in what may be its riskiest and most aggressive test this year.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: Tests of Fortitude," 29 Aug. 2017
Variations of this dish permeate Asian and rice-centric island cultures.

— judy walker, NOLA.com, "Eggs and rice: An under-the-radar Cajun breakfast," 29 Aug. 2017
It's got a swing out front and the most sensational kitchen with a huge island.

— molly fitzpatrick, Marie Claire, "Poppy Delevingne Was Just As Obsessed with 'Twilight' As You Were," 24 Aug. 2017
Nearly two decades later, the 31-year-old Clarksville dentist will take to the sea aboard his own sailboat, named Wisdom, and travel across the Atlantic Ocean with his wife, Maddie, to explore a handful of countries and islands over the next year.

— andrew michaels, Howard County Times, "Husband, wife to sail Atlantic during yearlong voyage," 24 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'island.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

The words island and isle are etymologically distinct. Island can be traced back to Old English īgland, composed of two elements īg and land. Land, as we might expect means “land,” but īg means “island” in Old English. In a sense, then, īgland is “island-land.” The English isle, on the other hand, is derived through medieval French from the Latin insula. In the 16th century, under the influence of isle, the letter s was added to iland, the earlier form of island. The verb island did not appear until the 17th century.

Origin and Etymology of island

alteration (influenced by Anglo-French isle) of earlier iland, from Middle English, from Old English īgland (akin to Old Norse eyland), from īg island (akin to Old English ēa river, Latin aqua water) + land land

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

island Synonyms

Synonyms

isle, islet

Related Words

atoll, barrier reef, cay, coral reef, key

Near Antonyms

continent, main, mainland

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

island

verb

Definition of island

transitive verb

1 a :to make into or as if into an island

b :to dot with or as if with islands

2 :isolate

Recent Examples of island from the Web

For that $49, travelers can island hop between St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands and San Juan, Puerto Rico; or trade Fort Lauderdale’s sunshine for a weekend in the Windy City.

— cassie shortsleeve, CNT, "Flight Deal: Two-Day JetBlue Sale Has Tickets from $49," 15 Aug. 2017
And more recently, Madagascar has been giving other Indian Ocean islands a run for their sand dollars.

— mary holland, Vogue, "Hard to Reach, Impossible to Leave: A Remote Getaway in Madagascar," 20 July 2017
The second area, new as of Wednesday, is far south of the Cabo Verde islands off the coast of Africa.

— brett clarkson, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Hurricane forecasters watching two areas for small chance of formation," 14 June 2017
Along the way, dramatic views frame Cheung Chau and Peng Chau islands off the coast, the rolling hills behind, and Silvermine Beach below.

— kate springer, CNN, "Lantau: Exploring Hong Kong's greenest island," 8 June 2017

First Known Use of island

1661

ISLAND Defined for Kids

island

noun is·land \ ˈī-lənd \

Definition of island for Students

1 :an area of land surrounded by water and smaller than a continent

2 :something like an island in its isolation

We have a counter island in our kitchen.

Medical Dictionary

island

noun is·land \ ˈī-lənd \

medical Definition of island

:an isolated anatomical structure, tissue, or group of cells

Learn More about island

See words that rhyme with island Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for island Spanish Central: Translation of island Nglish: Translation of island for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of island for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about island

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up island? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

island

Definition of island

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of island in a Sentence

Recent Examples of island from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of island

island Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Geology Terms

island

Definition of island

Recent Examples of island from the Web

First Known Use of island

Phrases Related to ISLAND

Related Phrases

ISLAND Defined for Kids

island

Definition of island for Students

Medical Dictionary

island

medical Definition of island

Learn More about island

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

Trending: McCain: Half-Baked, 'Spurious' Nationalism

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066