Caribbean

From Carib or Caribe, a people who lived in the West Indies, +‎ -an.

• IPA^(key): /ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/, /kəˈɹɪbiən/ (note the difference in stress)

• Audio (US)

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  (Mary–marry–merry distinction, penultimate stress)

• Audio (US)

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  (Mary–marry–merry merger, penultimate stress)

• Audio (US)

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  (antepenultimate stress)

  Rhymes: -iːən

In British English, the pronunciation with penultimate stress is much more common; in American English, the two pronunciations are about equally common.

Caribbean (not comparable)

1. Pertaining to the sea and region of the western Atlantic bounded by South America, Central America, and the islands of the West Indies (such as Cuba and Hispaniola).

The Bahamas are politically included as part of the Caribbean, but are geographically located outside the Caribbean Sea.

Caribbean (plural Caribbeans)

1. (countable) A person native to the Caribbean region
2. (countable) A member of the Amerindian tribes that inhabited the Caribbean region before the arrival of the Europeans

the Caribbean

1. The Caribbean Sea
2. The countries that occupy the region of the western Atlantic bounded by South America, Central America, and the islands of the West Indies (such as Cuba, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas)

• Caribbeanist
• Caribbean Sea
• Carib
• Carib Indians
• Caribe
• Caribs