subcontinent

noun

sub·​con·​ti·​nent ˌsəb-ˈkän-tə-nənt How to pronounce subcontinent (audio)
-ˈkänt-nənt
: a large landmass smaller than a continent
especially : a major subdivision of a continent
the Indian subcontinent
subcontinental adjective

Examples of subcontinent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their relations date back to Pakistan's founding amid the United Kingdom's partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, with Iran being the second nation after the U.K. to recognize Pakistan's independence. Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025 All this is part of the larger belief that only adherents belonging to religious traditions that arose in the Indian subcontinent are authentically Indian. Ashley J. Tellis, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2025 When the South Asian subcontinent was cleaved by the British in 1947, boundaries were drawn that divided the Indus River along India and Pakistan. Simmone Shah, Time, 9 May 2025 Here’s a look at that history: 1947-48 With the end of British colonial rule in 1947, the Indian subcontinent was divided into what became Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for subcontinent

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subcontinent was in 1845

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Cite this Entry

“Subcontinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subcontinent. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

subcontinent

noun
sub·​con·​ti·​nent ˈsəb-ˈkänt-ᵊn-ənt How to pronounce subcontinent (audio)
-ˈkänt-nənt,
-ˌkänt-
: a large area of land smaller than a continent
especially : a major subdivision of a continent
the Indian subcontinent
subcontinental adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on subcontinent

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