What does "formosa" mean?
Synonym of Taiwan: an island of East Asia.
Formosa
/fɔɹˈmoʊ.sə/ name
name ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Synonym of Taiwan: an island of East Asia.
- Grammar: formosa is listed as name.
- Nearest alternatives: beauteous, beautiful, beauty, belle.
- Useful contrasts: continent, mainland, plain woman.
- Usage evidence: Dong curated old photos of Chinese American actors for the newly restored Formosa Café, an iconic Hollywood nightclub and bar that opened in 1939.
How to use "formosa"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "formosa" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "formosa" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "formosa" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "formosa" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "formosa" is acting as name in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "beauteous" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "formosa", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Proper Noun
- 1 Synonym of Taiwan: an island of East Asia. dated
"Heere we had the higheſt Land of Formoſa, South-eaſt, the neereſt land about eight leagues off, the neather point of it Eaſt by North ten leagues off our depth, fortie ſixe fathomes ozie : the latitude twentie fiue degree twentie minutes. From the high Land of Formoſa, ſtretcheth out a lower Land to the water-ſide, being a white ſandy ſhoare, and ſmooth ſand Hils farther vp the Countrey, much like to the Coaſt of Barbary."
- 2 A city in northern Argentina.
- 3 A surname from Maltese.
- 4 Synonym of Taiwan: an administrative division including Formosa and nearby islands.; A prefecture of Fujian, China (Qing Empire) (1683–1885). historical
- 5 A department of Argentina around the city.
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 Synonym of Taiwan: an administrative division including Formosa and nearby islands.; A province of China (Qing Empire) (1885–1895). historical
"A new broom is not more active for reform than this new governor-general is in the new province of Formosa."
- 7 A province of Argentina around the city.
- 8 Synonym of Taiwan: an administrative division including Formosa and nearby islands.; A dependency of Japan (1895–1945). historical
"Except for the relatively unimportant Ryukyu Islands, which were acquired earlier, Formosa is Japan's oldest colony. She acquired it out of her war with China in 1894, and during recent years was believed to have fortified it heavily."
- 9 Synonym of Taiwan: an administrative division including Formosa and nearby islands.; A province of Taiwan (Republic of China) (from 1945). dated
"Economically, the island is already far better off (with massive American aid) than it would be if it were incorporated into Communist China, and it would be better off still (and less of a burden to the American taxpayer) if its people were not required to support two governments and two civil services—one for the Chinese mainland, and the other for the province of Formosa—and an army of more than half a million, whose raison d’étre continues to be the reconquest of the mainland."
- 10 Synonym of Taiwan: an administrative division including Formosa and nearby islands.; A claimed province of China (People's Republic of China or mainland China) (from 1949). dated
"If we should propose an exchange of ambassadors, Mao Tse-tung would surely ask if our recognition extended to Communist sovereignty over the 'Province of Formosa.'"
- 11 A city in Goiás, Brazil.
- 12 An island of the Bissagos Islands, Guinea-Bissau.
Example
"Dong curated old photos of Chinese American actors for the newly restored Formosa Café, an iconic Hollywood nightclub and bar that opened in 1939."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "formosa"?
Common synonyms include: beauteous, beautiful, beauty, belle, isle, pulchritudinous.
How do you use "formosa" in a sentence?
Dong curated old photos of Chinese American actors for the newly restored Formosa Café, an iconic Hollywood nightclub and bar that opened in 1939.
How do you pronounce "formosa"?
Pronounced /fɔɹˈmoʊ.sə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Portuguese Formosa, as in Ilha Formosa (literally “Beautiful Island”) and Vila Formosa da Imperatriz (literally “Beautiful Town of the Empress”), from formosa (“beautiful, shapely”), from Latin fōrmōsus (“beautiful, well-formed”), from fōrma (“shape”) + -ōsus (“-ful”), literally “shapeful”. The Brazilian city was named in honor of Empress Teresa Cristina, in the 1840s.
Etymology 2
From Spanish Formosa, from Vuelta la Formosa and Vuelta Fermosa (“Beautiful Turn”) in reference to a bend in the Paraguay River near the city, from Old Spanish fermosa, from Latin formosa.
Etymology 3
Borrowed from Maltese Formosa.