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subcontinental

subcontinental

1 6.5
Relates to a large, separate part of a continent, especially South Asia
  • adjective
  • /ˌsʌbˈkɒntɪnəntəl/
: subcontinental
  • India is the largest country on the Indian subcontinental, known for its diverse cultures and languages.
  • subcontinental region

Then the Iron Age started and the Iron Age started earlier in subcontinental India than it did in Europe.

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Examples

  • Less reliable are differences on a subcontinental scale, which, especially at lower latitudes, are due to regional variations in rainfall.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The newest great power is India, although it has yet to fully define its place in the world, and is constantly sucked into the vortex of radical Islam and subcontinental geopolitics that have so far prevented it from devoting energy to great power maneuvers.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Then the Iron Age started and the Iron Age started earlier in subcontinental India than it did in Europe.

  • To be sure, regional cooperation and regional domination are not always compatible, although both are present in typical subcontinental arrangements.

    Academic text (1995)
  • These data make up a standardized data set that allows subcontinental scale comparisons of drought over the 20th century.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Finally, the China factor further adds to the unpredictability, complexity, and instability of the subcontinental nuclear power balance.

    Academic text (2003)
  • This allowed India's subcontinental neighbors to play the China card against New Delhi when they wanted to resist India's attempts to nudge them toward conflict resolution.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Geographers refer to the partly submerged subcontinental spur that extends southeastward from Asia as Sundaland.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The economic reason was that China's traditional agrarian economy, supported by a vast subcontinental landmass and an extensive web of navigable rivers and waterways, was more than self-sufficient.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The history of the subcontinental region reflects a rich tapestry of traditions and influences from various civilizations.

How Regional

local
∞ 1.0
regional
410 3.5
subcontinental
1 6.5
continental
49 4.6
global
∞ 2.7

Surface Forms

subcontinental positive

Morphology

subcontinental = continental (transparent) = sub + continent + al

The adjective is formed by prefixing 'sub-' to 'continental', producing the clear meaning 'relating to a subcontinent or part of a continent'.

Etymology

Subcontinental comes from the part sub- meaning 'under' or 'part of' and the word continent meaning 'a large land'. So it describes something that relates to a large part of a continent, for example the Indian subcontinent in South Asia.