Asian
Americanadjective
noun
-
Asians
plural
adjective
-
of or relating to Asia or to any of its peoples or languages
-
of or relating to natives of the Indian subcontinent or any of their descendants, esp when living in Britain
noun
-
a native or inhabitant of Asia or a descendant of one
-
a native of the Indian subcontinent or a descendant of one
Sensitivity
Asian is the most commonly used term referring to people in or from Asia, especially East Asia. In American English, Oriental as a noun or adjective applied to people is outdated and has become a sensitive term to be avoided. It is associated with a bygone era in which Asians had subordinate status and their culture was perceived as strange and exotic. Also, the origin of the term Oriental represents a Eurocentric view of geography, since the Orient, or East, is east of Europe. However, Oriental is a neutral, inoffensive term when used as an adjective describing Asian culture or things from Asia. Similarly, the term Asiatic is usually offensive when referring to people, but neutral when referring to Asian culture, animals, etc. Though Asian is an acceptable ethnic designation in most contexts, it is best to be as specific as possible, rather than to group all Asians into a single cultural identity. In general, people of South, Southeast, and East Asian origin prefer to be identified by their country of origin: for example, Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, or Chinese. The people of the Middle East and Polynesia are not usually referred to as Asian.
Usage
To refer to someone from the Indian subcontinent as an Asian is potentially offensive and should be avoided. If you are talking about one specific group, it is better to say so, for instance people of Indian descent
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of Asian
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin Asiānus, from Greek Asiānós; see Asia, -an
Compare meaning
How does asian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The South Asian nation of 170 million people is the world's second-biggest garment exporter behind China, manufacturing clothes for some of the largest international brands.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Taking that level back on tour has helped Dart continue what has been an encouraging few weeks for British women in the Asian hard-court swing.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
“Nvidia needs the U.S. government to trust that vetting, both for its business with Southeast Asian data centers that rent computing power to Chinese companies, and for any future sales to China,” Chang said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 31, 2026
Cryptocurrencies fell during the Asian morning session as news of a massive crypto hack reverberated across markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
It’s what I’ve heard from every South Asian parent or teacher my entire life.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
Across differences in politics and identity, South Asians I spoke with around Columbus also shared the same affordability concerns acutely felt by Americans everywhere.
From Slate ● Oct. 23, 2026
The rate of lactose intolerance is higher in certain populations, such as Africans, Asians, and Latinos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Harry Sparkes, from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, stars in Thomas & Friends: Railway Stories alongside Crazy Rich Asians actor Henry Golding, who narrates the series in a role made famous by Sir Ringo Starr.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Partner organizations also include Make the Road New Jersey, 50501, People vs the Machines and South Asians for America, according to a press release.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
Modern Asians who want work elephants find it much cheaper to capture them in the wild and tame them.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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