Oceania

American

[oh-shee-an-ee-uh, -ah-nee-uh] / ˌoʊ ʃiˈæn i ə, -ˈɑ ni ə /

Also Oceanica

noun

the islands of the central and southern Pacific, including Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia, and traditionally Australasia. About 3,450,000 sq. mi. (8,935,500 sq. km).

Oceania British

/ ˌəʊʃɪˈɑːnɪə /

noun

the islands of the central and S Pacific, including Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia: sometimes also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Oceanian adjective

Compare meaning

How does oceania compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Oceania vs. Australia

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That meant the 2034 event had to go to Asia or Oceania.

From BBC

Its brands include the more premium Oceania Cruises and the luxury Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Once it got into wild bird populations, we lost ability to control this virus. Now it's established in wild bird populations in all the continental regions of the world except Oceania."

From Science Daily

Bula FC, where Krishna's wife is a senior executive, announced his signing in December for its participation in the inaugural season of the Oceania Football Confederation Pro League.

From Barron's

The first pathway is less of problem, because the only other Oceania team, New Zealand, are also in pot four.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023