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
Superintendent Rod Morrison, whose district spans an area of Alaska’s southern archipelago that’s roughly the size of Connecticut, said his district’s list of maintenance needs is seemingly endless.
—
Emily Schwing, ProPublica, 4 Mar. 2025
Superintendent Rod Morrison, whose district spans an area of Alaska's southern archipelago that's roughly the size of Connecticut, said his district's list of maintenance needs is seemingly endless.
—Emily Schwing, NPR, 4 Mar. 2025
Orcas Island is part of the archipelago known as the San Juan Islands, which comprises dozens of islands and reefs in the northern part of Puget Sound.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2025
From the geological formation of the archipelago to the 21st century, Picó’s critical text spans topics ranging from indigenous culture, Spanish colonial rule, nationalist movements and class structures.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2025
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Emily Schwing, ProPublica, 4 Mar. 2025
Superintendent Rod Morrison, whose district spans an area of Alaska's southern archipelago that's roughly the size of Connecticut, said his district's list of maintenance needs is seemingly endless.
—Emily Schwing, NPR, 4 Mar. 2025
Orcas Island is part of the archipelago known as the San Juan Islands, which comprises dozens of islands and reefs in the northern part of Puget Sound.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2025
From the geological formation of the archipelago to the 21st century, Picó’s critical text spans topics ranging from indigenous culture, Spanish colonial rule, nationalist movements and class structures.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 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 19 Mar. 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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