Jamaican

American

[juh-mey-kuhn] / dʒəˈmeɪ kən /

adjective

of or relating to the island of Jamaica or its inhabitants.

noun

a native or inhabitant of Jamaica.

jamaican British

/ dʒəˈmeɪkən /

adjective

of or relating to Jamaica or its inhabitants

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

a native or inhabitant of Jamaica

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Jamaican

First recorded in 1685–95; Jamaic(a) + -an

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.

The Jamaican government has been approached for comment.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

He currently has about six in rotation in a variety of colors and gets them from the London shop Uptown Yardie, which makes them in tribute to Jamaican heritage.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

Singing in English, her song's title is a Jamaican Patois slang term that means "riot".

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

Bambaataa was born to Jamaican and Barbadian immigrant parents.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Question for later: Is there such a thing as a Jamaican barn swallow?

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023