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
Concerted conservation efforts are underway to help the archipelago’s famous tortoises rebound.
—
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
First contact with the Sentinelese tribe was made by the British in the late 1800s, when, despite their attempts to hide, six individuals from the tribe were captured and taken to the main island of the Andaman Island archipelago.
—Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Visiting Brijuni means immersing yourself in peace, exploring the cultural heritage of this archipelago, and enjoying its incredible biodiversity.
—Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
There’s no better base for exploring everything on this Hawaii of the Atlantic archipelago.
—Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2025
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Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
First contact with the Sentinelese tribe was made by the British in the late 1800s, when, despite their attempts to hide, six individuals from the tribe were captured and taken to the main island of the Andaman Island archipelago.
—Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Visiting Brijuni means immersing yourself in peace, exploring the cultural heritage of this archipelago, and enjoying its incredible biodiversity.
—Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
There’s no better base for exploring everything on this Hawaii of the Atlantic archipelago.
—Tim Nelson, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 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 16 Apr. 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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