Polynesia

[ pol-uh-nee-zhuh, -shuh ]
/ ˌpɒl əˈni ʒə, -ʃə /

noun

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

Example sentences from the Web for polynesia

British Dictionary definitions for polynesia

Polynesia
/ (ˌpɒlɪˈniːʒə, -ʒɪə) /

noun

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

Word Origin for Polynesia

C18: via French from poly- + Greek nēsos island

Cultural definitions for polynesia

Polynesia

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.”