Asian

1 of 2

adjective

ˈā-zhən How to pronounce Asian (audio)
 also  -shən
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the continent of Asia or its people
Asian vs. Asiatic: Usage Guide

Asian is now solidly preferred to Asiatic; the latter persists mainly in the names of some kinds of flora and fauna.

an Asiatic lily
the Asiatic elephant

Asiatic still has some use as a geographical designator

the Asiatic side of the Bosporus

but has increasingly been considered offensive, especially as associated with the policies of colonialism.

Asian

2 of 2

noun

1
: a native or inhabitant of Asia
2
: a person of Asian descent

Examples of Asian in a Sentence

Noun There are many Asians living in South America.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The populations that were disproportionately affected by the low access to housing loans included Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Jewish families. Cooper Conway, Orange County Register, 21 May 2024 China, claiming Taiwan as part of its territory, resolutely opposes the visits, its embassies in South Korea and Japan said, and has lodged solemn representations with the two northeast Asian countries. Fox News, 21 May 2024 The DoP is the first Asian recipient of the Angénieux award, where past honorees include Agnes Godard, Bruno Delbonnel, Edward Lachmann, Christopher Doyle, Peter Suchitzky, Roger Deakins, Vilmos Zsigmond, Darius Khondji and Philippe Rousellot. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 May 2024 The anonymous program, funded by the state legislature’s Asian American and Pacific Islander equity agenda and the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act grant is also a partnership with California Black Media. Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee, 21 May 2024 Watch exhilarating races, feast on scrumptious Asian cuisines and get inspired during traditional and contemporary cultural performances. Sarah Kuta, The Denver Post, 21 May 2024 But even increases have been documented in Mediterranean countries for example, in sub-Saharan Africa, in East Asian countries where many times the diets and lifestyles are quite different than that in the U.S. Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 20 May 2024 The Southeast Asian leader, commonly known as Jokowi, openly courted the Tesla CEO for investment in the country’s fledgling EV sector, even making a personal visit to see the billionaire in Texas in 2022. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 20 May 2024 The company is a popular musical platform and record label for Asian American and Asian artists releasing music in the United States. Doc Louallen, ABC News, 18 May 2024
Noun
In honor of Yamaguchi’s doll and in support of AAPI Heritage Month, Barbie will split a $25,000 Barbie Dream Gap donation between Yamaguchi’s foundation Always Dream and ASPIRE (Asian Sisters Participating in Reaching Excellence). Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 21 May 2024 Programs began to grow as attacks on Asian Americans, including the 2021 murders of spa workers in Atlanta, increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pawan Dhingra, The Conversation, 21 May 2024 Expanding into a two-day event to uplift Asian and AAPI artists, culture and connection, the 2024 MetaMoon Music Festival hits New York this fall with Henry Lau and Eric Nam as headliners, Billboard can exclusively reveal. Jeff Benjamin, Billboard, 21 May 2024 This is a testament to the influence and talent of Asian artists, a reality that surely resonates with Miyashiro, the mastermind behind the annual Clouds Festival, celebrated as the premier music festival for the Asian diaspora. Doc Louallen, ABC News, 18 May 2024 At Forest Hills Stadium, on a chilly Saturday afternoon in Queens, throngs of Asian Americans crowd the grounds of 88Rising’s Head in the Clouds festival. Steffi Cao, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2024 In a survey conducted by the Census Bureau, Asian Americans reported a lower likelihood of filling out the forms than other demographic groups, due in part to language barriers and a lack of communication about the purpose of the census form. Sandhya Kambhampati, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2024 Popular on Variety In addition, the collective is co-hosting the inauguration and reception for the South Asian Film Market launched by Seattle’s Oscar-qualifying Tasveer Film Festival. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 May 2024 Bonta was in Washington for an event with Vice President Kamala Harris, another one of his predecessors, to celebrate Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month. Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Asian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1550, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Asian was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Asian

Cite this Entry

“Asian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Asian. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Asian

adjective
ˈā-zhən,
ˈā-shən
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Asia or its people
Asian noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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