island

1 of 2

noun

is·​land ˈī-lənd 

often attributive

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

island

2 of 2

verb

islanded; islanding; islands

transitive verb

1

a

: to make into or as if into an island

b

: to dot with or as if with islands

2

: isolate

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.

Synonyms of island

Noun

• isle
• atoll

Examples of island in a Sentence

Noun

He lives on an island in the Caribbean.

the island of Hawaii is the largest in the Hawaiian archipelago

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The airport in Montego Bay handles the vast majority of flights to the island. —Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026

Fidel Castro led Cuba for nearly five decades after the communist revolution in 1959, nationalizing industry on the island and bringing Havana close to the then-Soviet Union before handing power to his brother, Raúl Castro. —Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026

Japan considers China its main regional security threat and has fortified the country's southwestern islands near the East China Sea in recent years. —ABC News, 31 Mar. 2026

Unlike birds, fish, or whales, rats can’t travel long distances on their own, and yet they can be found on six of the seven continents and even on islands hundreds of miles from the mainland. —Jason Bittel, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing island

• barrier island
• desert island
• floating island
• heat island
• inter-island
• island-hop
• island universe
• sea island cotton
• traffic island

Rhymes for island

• dryland

Kids Definition

island

noun

is·​land

ˈī-lənd

1

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

2

: something suggestive of an island in its isolation

Etymology

Noun

an altered form of earlier iland "island," derived from Old English īgland "island"; the spelling island was influenced by the word isle, which is not related

Medical Definition

island

noun

is·​land ˈī-lənd 

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