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.
During this time, supercontinents like Columbia and Rodinia formed and remained relatively unchanged, while Earth’s atmosphere lingered at oxygen levels far below today’s breathable air. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025 The discovery highlights the importance of luck in scientific exploration and adds to our understanding of prehistoric life on the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025 And each episode is one of those hotspots that defines both that place, but also, together, defines the whole of the supercontinent. Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2025 Three times in the modern era, the world has been convulsed by fights over the supercontinent and the waters around it. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 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 22 Apr. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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