Illustration of atoll
: a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon
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If you are lucky enough to sail south and west of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, you'll find the Maldives, a group of about 1,200 coral islands and sandbanks that form the Republic of Maldives. Many islands in that independent nation demonstrate the archetypal atoll, and geographers often use them to point out the characteristic features of such coral islands. Given how prevalent atolls are there, it isn't surprising that atoll comes from the name for that kind of island in Divehi, the official language of the Maldives.
Examples of atoll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The island nation – roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia – is home to about 10,000 people, according to the latest government statistics, living across a clutch of tiny islets and atolls in the South Pacific.
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Angus Watson, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
In 1836, the HMS Beagle arrived at the Cocos Islands, where a low atoll of coral encircled a miles-wide lagoon.
—Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
In March, the Air Force announced its intent to perform an environmental assessment of the atoll, following objections from the American Bird Conservancy (ABC).
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 7 July 2025
Tuvalu, one of the countries at greatest risk from climate change, which experts say is boosting sea levels, has a population of 11,000 on its nine atolls scattered across the Pacific between Australia and Hawaii.
—Reuters, NBC news, 29 June 2025
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Angus Watson, CNN Money, 27 June 2025
In 1836, the HMS Beagle arrived at the Cocos Islands, where a low atoll of coral encircled a miles-wide lagoon.
—Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
In March, the Air Force announced its intent to perform an environmental assessment of the atoll, following objections from the American Bird Conservancy (ABC).
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 7 July 2025
Tuvalu, one of the countries at greatest risk from climate change, which experts say is boosting sea levels, has a population of 11,000 on its nine atolls scattered across the Pacific between Australia and Hawaii.
—Reuters, NBC news, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for atoll
Cite this Entry
“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atoll. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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