DictionaryAI

Australia

proper noun
aw-STRAYL-yuh/ɔˈstɹeɪl.jə/UKo-STRAY-lee-uh/ɒˈstɹeɪ.liː.ə/uh-STRAYL-yuh/əˈstɹæɪl.jə/

3 meanings of Australia

Practice

  1. 1
    countryproper noun
    A country made up of a big main island, Tasmania, and smaller islands. Its capital city is Canberra.

    You need a visa to visit Australia.

    Australia sent a large team to the Olympic Games.

    SimilarOz, Straya

    Note
  2. 2
    continent (with New Guinea)proper noun
    A continent made up of the Australian mainland, Tasmania, New Guinea, and the islands near them.

    Long ago, people could walk between New Guinea and the rest of Australia because the sea was much lower.

    Of all the continents on the map, Australia is the smallest.

    Note
  3. 3
    main islandproper noun
    A very large island in Oceania, south of Asia.

    Tasmania lies just south of Australia, across a narrow stretch of sea.

    Some people call Australia the biggest island on Earth.

    Note

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Origin

From the Latin phrase for "unknown southern land," from a word meaning the south wind. Matthew Flinders made the name popular in 1814.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

  • Australia derives from Latin terra australis incognita, meaning "unknown southern land". en.wiktionary.org
  • The name ultimately derives from auster, meaning "the south wind". en.wiktionary.org
  • Matthew Flinders helped popularize the name Australia. nma.gov.au
  • Flinders's publication promoting the name appeared in 1814. gutenberg.org