European

[yoor-uh-pee-uhn, yur-]

adjective

1. of or relating to Europe or its inhabitants.

2. native to or derived from Europe.

   traditional European customs; European languages.

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Europe.

2. a person of European descent.

3. (in East Africa and Asia) a white person; Caucasian.

European

/ ˌjʊərəˈpɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Europe or its inhabitants

2. native to or derived from Europe

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Europe

2. a person of European descent

3. a supporter of the European Union or of political union of the countries of Europe or a part of it

Other Word Forms

• Europeanism noun
• Europeanly adverb
• anti-European adjective
• inter-European adjective
• non-European adjective
• pro-European adjective
• pseudo-European adjective
• un-European adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of European¹

1595–1605; < Latin Eurōpae(us) ( Europe, -eous ) + -an

Example Sentences

Shipment to the European Union, China’s No. 2 trading partner, rose 14.2%, the fastest pace in more than three years.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They also highlight central Italy as an important region for understanding how early Europeans obtained food and raw materials.

Read more on Science Daily

The development threatens to raise tensions between the European Union and China, which have increased in recent months over trade and Beijing's relationship with Russia.

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With an eye on growing Russian aggression in Europe, Warsaw’s military planners built out the country’s armed forces, turning it last year into the largest European military in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

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However, a review study published in 2025 by the European Medicines Agency, which looked at a total of 595 participants across eight completed studies, recommended "more clinical evidence" before authorising it for sale.

Read more on BBC