supercontinent

noun

su·​per·​con·​ti·​nent ˈsü-pər-ˌkän-tə-nənt 

-ˌkänt-nənt

: a hypothetical former large continent from which other continents are held to have broken off and drifted away

Examples of supercontinent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Gulf of Mexico formed about two hundred million years ago, when the supercontinent Pangea split up. —Jeffrey Marlow, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026

During the time Tanyka lived, Earth’s land was joined into the supercontinent Pangaea. —Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026

Around 230 million years ago, this area was part of the supercontinent Gondwana. —Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 4 Mar. 2026

Planet Earth has gone through many periods where supercontinents and superoceans were the norm, and many others where multiple continents and multiple separate, independent oceans covered Earth’s surface. —Big Think, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for supercontinent

• continent
• incontinent
• subcontinent

Kids Definition

supercontinent

noun

su·​per·​con·​ti·​nent ˈsü-pər-ˌkänt-ᵊn-ənt 

-ˌkänt-nənt

: a former large continent which is assumed to have existed and from which other continents broke off and drifted away