archipelago
noun
ar·chi·pel·a·go
ˌär-kə-ˈpe-lə-ˌgō 
ˌär-chə-
plural archipelagoes or archipelagos
1
: an expanse of water with many scattered islands
2
: a group of islands
3
: something resembling an archipelago
especially
: a group or scattering of similar things
an archipelago of small parks within the city
Did you know?
The Greeks called it the Aegean Pelagos and the Italians referred to it as Arcipelago (meaning "chief sea"), but English speakers now call it the Aegean Sea. Numerous islands dot its expanse, and 16th-century English speakers adopted a modified form of its Italian name for any sea with a similar scattering of islands. In time, archipelago came to refer to the groups of islands themselves, and now it is often used figuratively, as in, for example, "an archipelago of high-rise buildings."
Examples of archipelago in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While each of the eight main Hawaiian islands are rife with natural beauty, the archipelago’s youngest landmass offers plenty of room to roam, with more than 10,000 square kilometers of captivating landscapes to explore.
—
Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
For decades, the Philippine armed forces battled insurgents in the southern reaches of the archipelago.
—Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
The new film brought Saxon to caves in the English midlands and, most spectacularly, Svalbard, an archipelago off the northern coast of Norway.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
Cabo Verde is an island archipelago off the coast of Africa.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
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Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
For decades, the Philippine armed forces battled insurgents in the southern reaches of the archipelago.
—Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
The new film brought Saxon to caves in the English midlands and, most spectacularly, Svalbard, an archipelago off the northern coast of Norway.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
Cabo Verde is an island archipelago off the coast of Africa.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for archipelago
Cite this Entry
“Archipelago.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archipelago. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
archipelago
noun
ar·chi·pel·a·go
ˌär-kə-ˈpel-ə-ˌgō
ˌär-chə-
plural archipelagoes or archipelagos
: a wide stretch of water with many scattered islands
also
: a group of islands
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