sub-Saharan

adjective

sub-Sa·​ha·​ran ˌsəb-sə-ˈher-ən How to pronounce sub-Saharan (audio)
-ˈhär-
: of, relating to, or being the part of Africa south of the Sahara

Examples of sub-Saharan in a Sentence

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nile Monitor These sub-Saharan African lizards can grow as big as alligators at five to eight feet long. — Alex Harris august 25, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 Hailing from sub-Saharan Africa, these animals were trained by Belgian conservation nonprofit APOPO to perform some heroic tasks. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Equinor took a 17% stake in the license, joining Chevron, QatarEnergy, and Namibian firms such as Trago Energy in transforming the southwest African nation’s coast from an unproven frontier into sub-Saharan Africa’s hottest oil play. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026 Moroccan state broadcaster Medi 1 TV said 294 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were arrested Saturday while attempting to enter Ceuta. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sub-Saharan

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sub-Saharan was in 1899

Rhymes for sub-Saharan

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Browse Nearby Words

subroutine
sub-Saharan
subsaline
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Cite this Entry

“Sub-Saharan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sub-Saharan. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sub-Saharan

adjective
sub-Sa·​ha·​ran
ˌsəb-sə-ˈhar-ən, 
ˈsəb-, 
-ˈher-, 
-ˈhär-
: of, relating to, or being the part of Africa south of the Sahara
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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