peninsula

noun

pen·​in·​su·​la pə-ˈnin(t)-s(ə-)lə  -shə-lə 

: a portion of land nearly surrounded by water and connected with a larger body by an isthmus

also : a piece of land jutting out into the water whether with or without a well-defined isthmus

the Italian peninsula

peninsular

pə-ˈnin(t)-s(ə-)lər 

-shə-lər

adjective

Synonyms

• arm
• cape
• foreland
• headland
• ness
• point
• promontory
• spit

Examples of peninsula in a Sentence

They built their house on a narrow peninsula.

the peninsula is constantly buffeted by storms

Recent Examples on the Web

What To Know The Demilitarized Zone stretches 248 kilometers (155 miles) across the peninsula and is 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) wide. —Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025

Blizzard warnings are in place for parts of Kansas and Nebraska, with winter storm watches -- which could turn to blizzard warnings -- stretching northeast into Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and into the upper peninsula of Michigan. —Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2025

The peninsula has 15 miles of beaches and tons of wildlife including iguanas and monkeys—find T+L's guide to the destination here. —Maya Kachroo-Levine, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2025

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced in a news release March 13 that two cubs between 7 and 9 weeks old were spotted in the state’s rural upper peninsula March 6. —Rhiannon Saegert, Kansas City Star, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin paeninsula, from paene almost + insula island

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for peninsula

• insole
• insula

Kids Definition

peninsula

noun

pen·​in·​su·​la pə-ˈnin(t)-s(ə-)lə  -ˈnin-chə-lə 

: a piece of land nearly surrounded by water or sticking out into the water

peninsular

-s(ə-)lər 

-chə-lər

adjective

Etymology

from Latin paeninsula "peninsula," from paene- "almost" and insula "island" — related to insulate, isle, isolate