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western hemisphere

western hemisphere

5 2.7
The half of the Earth that includes North and South America
  • noun
  • /ˈwɛstərn ˈhɛmɪsfɪr/
translation icon : hemisferio occidental
  • The western hemisphere includes both North America and South America, along with their surrounding waters.
  • western hemisphere partnerships

And it was the first dinosaur egg found in the Western Hemisphere, which is pretty cool.

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Examples

  • There isn't a country in the Western hemisphere

  • We have the most intense X-ray source in the Western Hemisphere here at Argonne.

  • "No, other things being equal, the deal will land in the western hemisphere."

    Fiction book (1997)
  • "I'm watching on television, like the rest of the western hemisphere," he said.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • President Bush came to office at a moment of opportunity in the western hemisphere.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Asian trade is split in three directions: within the region, with the western hemisphere, and with Europe and the Middle East.

    Academic text (1990)
  • We need to maintain American influence and superiority in the Western Hemisphere for sure.

  • And it was the first dinosaur egg found in the Western Hemisphere, which is pretty cool.

  • Are America's neighbors in the western hemisphere ready for such a partnership?

    Academic text (1993)
  • Throughout the western hemisphere, people are deeply concerned about making democracy work—by connecting institutions to people and ensuring accountability.

    Academic text (1993)

Synonyms

America
vswestern hemisphere
750 1.0

The continents of North, Central, and South America taken together

is the half of the Earth defined by meridians, including oceans and lands

Surface Forms

Morphology

western + hemisphere

The meaning 'the half of the Earth that is to the west' is directly and compositionally derived from 'western' (toward the west) modifying 'hemisphere' (half of the Earth); a B1 learner who knows both words can reconstruct this meaning. This is a common, cross-linguistic compositional pattern (direction + geographic unit), so the expression is immediately understandable from its parts.

Etymology

Western hemisphere The name western hemisphere comes from the simple picture of cutting the Earth into two halves and taking the half on the 'west' side. Here western points to that side and hemisphere means 'half of the globe', so the phrase now refers to the half of Earth that includes North and South America.