Polynesia

[ pol-uh-nee-zhuh, -shuh ]

noun

1. one of the three principal divisions of Oceania, comprising those island groups in the Pacific Ocean lying east of Melanesia and Micronesia and extending from the Hawaiian Islands south to New Zealand.

Polynesia

/ -ʒɪə; ˌpɒlɪˈniːʒə /

noun

1. one of the three divisions of islands in the Pacific, the others being Melanesia and Micronesia: includes Samoa, Society, Marquesas, Mangareva, Tuamotu, Cook, and Tubuai Islands, and Tonga

Polynesia

1. Group of islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean , including the islands of the state of Hawaii and the islands of French Polynesia. Tahiti and Samoa are in Polynesia, which means “many islands.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Polynesia¹

C18: via French from poly- + Greek nēsos island

Example Sentences

The surfing is being held in Tahiti, French Polynesia, and Tueday's sessions have also been postponed, due to adverse weather conditions.

From BBC

Instead surf's up in Teahupo’o, a village off the southeastern coast of Tahiti in French Polynesia in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

From Salon

Instead of holding the competition on one of their many west-facing Atlantic Ocean beaches in Europe, they decided to go to French Polynesia, where the promise of a breathtaking competition awaits.

From Los Angeles Times

Of course, if you took a 22-hour-flight from London Heathrow through Los Angeles to Tahiti in French Polynesia, you could watch this year’s Olympic surfing competitions for free from the island’s sandy beach.

From BBC

Predominantly doing field work in French Polynesia, Rummer works in the world's largest shark sanctuary which "provides an ideal environment for studying and protecting shark populations without fishing pressures."

From Salon