supercontinent

noun

su·​per·​con·​ti·​nent ˈsü-pər-ˌkän-tə-nənt How to pronounce supercontinent (audio)
-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
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.
By around 270 million years ago, that action was done, and all the world’s landmasses had merged into a second single supercontinent, Pangaea. Alexandra Witze, JSTOR Daily, 24 Apr. 2025 This wide distribution suggests that their roots were in the supercontinent Gondwana, before the landmasses split apart and carried madtsoiids to new evolutionary frontiers. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025 Creation of the Antarctica Mountains Many geologists think these features were created when multiple tectonic plates that include what is now known as Africa, South America, Australia, India, and Antarctica collided to create a supercontinent called Gondwana. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 13 May 2025 Tom Hanks narrates this examination of the astonishing variety of life on a supercontinent stretching from northern Canada to the bottom of South America. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for supercontinent

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of supercontinent was in 1960

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Cite this Entry

“Supercontinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supercontinent. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

supercontinent

noun
su·​per·​con·​ti·​nent ˈsü-pər-ˌkänt-ᵊn-ənt How to pronounce supercontinent (audio)
-ˌkänt-nənt
: a former large continent which is assumed to have existed and from which other continents broke off and drifted away

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