antipodean

American  

[an-tip-uh-dee-uhn] / ænˌtɪp əˈdi ən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or originating from places on the opposite side of the globe, especially Australia and New Zealand; antipodal.

   One can only assume that an inch-long European cockroach is of little concern to a woman accustomed to antipodean spiders the size of dinner plates.

2. directly or diametrically opposite; antipodal.

   The vector map includes lines that pass through the antipodean meridian.

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noun

1. someone who lives in or comes from the opposite side of the globe, especially Australia or New Zealand.

   As the flooding disaster follows hot on the heels of Australia’s droughts and fires, we antipodeans wonder what we've done to have these natural disasters visited upon us.

Etymology

Origin of antipodean

antipode ( def. ) + -an ( def. )

Example Sentences

The rare presence of three Chinese naval ships in the Tasman Sea has put both antipodean countries on alert in recent days, with Australia calling it "unusual".

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2025

In the meantime, enjoy the holidays — and don’t hesitate to send us your own examples of antipodean wonder.

From New York Times • Dec. 14, 2023

Rising commodity prices have provided some support to the antipodean currencies, though they have been mostly sideways for the past month or so.

From Reuters • Sep. 26, 2023

British farmers, meanwhile, fear beef and lamb from the antipodean nations’ large livestock industries will flood the British market under the deal’s vastly increased quotas.

From Seattle Times • May 31, 2023

"He must be hard to please who is not satisfied with the excitement yielded by this résumé of the deeds of the old antipodean explorers."

From Colonial Born A tale of the Queensland bush by Spence, Percy F. S. (Percy Frederick Seaton)