Subcontinent Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

subcontinent American [suhb-kon-tn-uhnt, suhb-kon-] / sʌbˈkɒn tn ənt, ˈsʌbˌkɒn- /

noun

1. a large, relatively self-contained landmass forming a subdivision of a continent.

   The Himalayas arose when what is now the Indian subcontinent collided with the Eurasian Plate during the Cretaceous period.

2. a large landmass, such as Greenland, that is smaller than any of the usually recognized continents.

subcontinent British / ˌsʌbkɒntɪˈnɛntəl, sʌbˈkɒntɪnənt /

noun

1. a large land mass that is a distinct part of a continent, such as India is of Asia

"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

• subcontinental adjective

Etymology

Origin of subcontinent

First recorded in 1860–65; sub- + continent

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.

After they crashed out of a chaotic 1996 World Cup on the subcontinent, Smith's England career was over at the age of 32.

From BBC

The Pamir -- "a very special place... the roof of the world" -- particularly fascinates scientists, Stocker said, because it is a climatic crossroads, redirecting moist air from Europe towards the Indian subcontinent.

From Barron's

She became the first woman of Indian ancestry to serve as prime minister of a country outside the subcontinent when she won the office in 2010.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jebel Ali also serves the Indian subcontinent, the upper and lower Gulf, from Iraq to Eurasia as well as Asian countries.

From The Wall Street Journal

Meteorologists say it was mainly because of the interaction between the already existing monsoon system in the Indian subcontinent and westerly disturbances, a low pressure system that originates in the Mediterranean region and travels eastward.

From BBC

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.