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.
The University of Barcelona studied an amber deposit unearthed from a quarry near Archidona in the Amazonian Napo Province of Ecuador — a part of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2025 Gondwana was a supercontinent that included around two-thirds of today's continental area—including what is now Australia, Antarctica, India, South America, Africa, Madagascar, Arabia and New Zealand. Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025 But as the supercontinent finally splintered apart around 200 million years ago and the near-endless age of dinosaurs found its groove, the planet recovered to conditions more hospitable to animal life. Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025 During this time, the ancient supercontinent Rodinia was breaking apart. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 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 8 Oct. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on supercontinent

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