Asian
Americanadjective
noun
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
Sensitive Note
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 In American English, Oriental as a noun or adjective applied to people is outdated and has become a sensitive term to be avoided.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
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.
And on Tuesday, Asian investors tracked a bounce for the Nasdaq and S&P 500.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
And the world is also making do with less oil — Asian countries, particularly China, curbed energy imports and are consuming less.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Experts are increasingly warning of a "China shock 2.0", with a glut of inexpensive goods made in the Asian powerhouse threatening manufacturers around the world as trade deficits widen.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
The move marks the latest effort by Asian authorities to defend their currencies as the conflict in the Middle East fuels risk-off sentiment, boosting the dollar at the expense of emerging-market currencies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
London is such a diverse city, with a large Southeast Asian Muslim community.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
