noun
(1) Australia, New Zealand, and neighboring islands in the South Pacific
Etymology
The name was coined by Charles de Brosses in
Histoire des navigations aux terres australes 1756. He derived it from the for “south of
Asia”
Proper noun
Australasia
- Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and neighbouring islands
- all of Oceania
Usage notes
This is an ambiguous term, whose precise meaning varies considerably depending on its field of use