Caribbean

• Carribean (obsolete)

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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən/, /kəˈɹɪbiən/

• Audio (US, without the Mary–marry–merry merger); [ˌkæɹɪˈbiːən]:

  (file)

• Audio (US, Mary–marry–merry merger); [ˌkɛɹɪˈbiːən]:

  (file)

• Audio (US); [kəˈɹɪbiən]:

  (file)

  Rhymes: -iːən

In British English, the pronunciation with penultimate stress is used almost exclusively; 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).
   • 2024 May 17, Jessica Hasbun, “The Dominican Republic votes on Sunday. Here’s what to know”, in CNN‎^[1], archived from the original on 18 May 2024:

     Among those seeking the Caribbean nation’s highest office on May 19 are the current president, a former president, and a mayor.

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.
3. A continental region centered on the Caribbean Sea, consisting of those countries located in the sea and in bordering areas of South America and Central America.