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.
Its open, hilly terrain has one of the highest densities of tigers on the subcontinent. Marion Miller, Travel + Leisure, 10 Oct. 2025 According to data from Platts, a part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, ocean freight rates for cargo carried from the Indian subcontinent to East Coast North America averaged $2,000 per 40-foot equivalent (FEU) as of Sept. 4., down 33 percent from $3,000 per FEU on July 3. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025 Pakistan had been America’s Cold War ally on the subcontinent, but during the Global War on Terror, Washington came to see Islamabad as unreliable and instead drew closer to New Delhi. Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025 Tibetan refugee communities in the Indian subcontinent, in particular, rely on financial assistance from India, the United States, and Europe to sustain their educational institutions, medical services, and cultural establishments. Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 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 21 Oct. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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