Phrase guide

continental drift

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The slow movement of continents explained by plate tectonics.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the gradual movement and formation of continents (as described by plate tectonics)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: geological phenomenon

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: اِنْجِرَاف القَارِّيّ (injirāf al-qārriyy) — continental drift
  • Basque: kontinenteen jito — continental drift
  • Bengali: মহাদেশীয় প্রবাহ (mohadeśiẏo probaho) — continental drift
  • Breton: dilec'hiadur ar c'hevandiroù — continental drift
  • Bulgarian: континентален дрейф (kontinentalen drejf) — continental drift
  • Chinese Mandarin: 大陆漂移 (dàlù piāoyí) — continental drift
  • Czech: kontinentální drift — continental drift
  • Danish: kontinentaldrift — continental drift
  • Dutch: continentverschuiving — continental drift
  • Esperanto: kontinenta drivo — continental drift
  • Estonian: mandrite triiv — continental drift
  • Faroese: meginlandarák — continental drift
  • Finnish: mannerten liikkuminen — continental drift
  • French: dérive des continents — continental drift
  • Galician: deriva continental — continental drift
  • Georgian: კონტინენტების დრეიფი (ḳonṭinenṭebis dreipi) — continental drift
  • Georgian: კონტინენტური დრეიფი (ḳonṭinenṭuri dreipi) — continental drift
  • German: Kontinentaldrift — continental drift
  • German: Kontinentalverschiebung — continental drift
  • Greek: μετατόπιση των ηπείρων (metatópisi ton ipeíron) — continental drift
  • Hebrew: נדידת היבשות — continental drift
  • Irish: gluaiseacht ilchríochach — continental drift
  • Italian: deriva dei continenti — continental drift
  • Japanese: 大陸移動 (tairiku idō) — continental drift
  • Korean: 대륙이동 (daeryuk idong) — continental drift
  • Lithuanian: kontinentų dreifo — continental drift
  • Malay: hanyutan benua — continental drift
  • Norwegian: kontinentaldrift — continental drift
  • Polish: wędrówka kontynentów — continental drift
  • Portuguese: deriva continental — continental drift
  • Russian: дрейф материко́в (drejf materikóv) — continental drift
  • Serbo-Croatian: померање континената — continental drift
  • Serbo-Croatian: помицање континената — continental drift
  • Serbo-Croatian: pomeranje kontinenata — continental drift
  • Serbo-Croatian: pomicanje kontinenata — continental drift
  • Slovak: pohyb kontinentov — continental drift
  • Spanish: deriva continental — continental drift
  • Spanish: abatimiento continental — continental drift
  • Swedish: kontinentaldrift — continental drift
  • Tamil: கண்டப்பெயர்ச்சி (kaṇṭappeyarcci) — continental drift
  • Thai: การเลื่อนไหลของทวีป (gaan lêuan lăi kŏng táwêep) — continental drift
  • Ukrainian: мобілізм (mobilizm) — continental drift
  • Vietnamese: trôi dạt lục địa — continental drift