isl.

IPA/ˈɪsəl/
IPA/ˈɪsəl/

isl. — abbreviation

1. a short written form of the word "island", used on maps, in addresses, and in li

1.abbreviationB2
Definition

a short written form of the word "island", used on maps, in addresses, and in lists of places to save space.

Example

The label on the map read "Coney Isl., New York" in small black letters.

isl. follows a place name on map labels

Rafael addressed the package to a vacation rental on Sanibel Isl., Florida.

isl. inside a postal address line

Common collocations
  • [proper name] Isl.
  • Isl. of [proper name]
  • , Isl.,
Synonyms
  • I.

    a one-letter variant seen on some older atlases and naval charts

  • Is.

    alternative two-letter abbreviation, more common in British gazetteers

  • island

    the full word; preferred in any continuous prose or speech

Grammar Patterns

[Proper name] + Isl.

Isl. of + [Proper name]

Usage Note

Restricted to written contexts where space is tight — maps, postal addresses, atlases, indexes, and printed forms. Read aloud as "island"; the abbreviation itself is not spoken. Often capitalized as "Isl." when it follows a proper place name.

Common Mistakes

We sailed to Hawaii Isl. last summer for our holiday.
We sailed to the island of Hawaii last summer for our holiday.
in running prose, write the full word "island"; reserve "Isl." for map labels and addresses.
The captain said, "We are now approaching Isl. Bermuda.
The captain said, "We are now approaching the island of Bermuda.
the abbreviation is written-only; speakers say the full word.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: abbreviation/1

These four forms all point to the same geographical feature, but they belong to different writing situations. The full word 'island' is what learners should use almost everywhere — in conversation, in essays, in news articles, anywhere the surrounding text is normal prose. 'Isl.' (with the period) appears on maps, in postal addresses, and in printed gazetteers, where space is tight and a place name follows or precedes it. 'Is.' is a slightly different two-letter abbreviation, common in British atlases and older travel guides; it carries the same meaning but a different stylistic flavour. 'I.' is the most compact and is mostly limited to naval charts and historical maps. None of the abbreviations is read aloud — when someone reads a map entry like 'Long Isl.' out loud, they say 'Long Island'.

isl. ↗is.i.island ↗

Etymology

English

A short written form of 'island', clipped from the longer noun and marked with a period to show that letters have been left out. The shortening became standard in 19th- and 20th-century cartography, where mapmakers needed to fit place names into very small spaces on charts and gazetteers.