Island Definition, Examples & Usage Guide

Meaning 1：land surrounded by water (island)

island 🔊

/ˈaɪlənd/

A piece of land that is completely surrounded by water.

Aerial view of a lush green island surrounded by turquoise ocean water

land surrounded by water 🔊

➕

/lænd səˈraʊndɪd baɪ ˈwɔːtər/

A landmass, smaller than a continent, that is entirely surrounded by water.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Elementary

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Derived from Old English 'īe' (island) + 'land' (land), originally 'īegland'.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine 'I' stand alone on an island: 'I' + 'land' = a land for 'me' alone.

📖 Example

My dream vacation is to relax on a small island with white sandy beaches and clear blue water. 🔊 My dream vacation is to relax on a small island with white sandy beaches and clear blue water.

🔗 Collocations

desert island – an uninhabited island

island nation – a country consisting entirely of one or more islands

tropical island – an island in a tropical climate

🔄 Synonyms

isle (n.) – a small island or peninsula, often used in poetry or proper names

islet (n.) – a very small island

atoll (n.) – a ring-shaped coral reef enclosing a lagoon

🚫 Antonyms

continent (n.) – a large continuous landmass

mainland (n.) – the principal landmass of a region

🌱 Derivatives

islander (n.) – a person who lives on an island

island-hopping (adj./n.) – traveling from one island to another, especially as a vacation activity

📖 Cultural Story

From Old English 'īegland', later respelled under influence of French 'isle'. The 's' was added in the 15th century by scholars who incorrectly believed it came from Latin 'insula'.