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Palestinian

American  
[pal-uh-stin-ee-uhn] / ˌpæl əˈstɪn i ən /

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Palestine.

  2. Also called Palestinian Arab.  an Arab formerly living in Palestine who advocates the establishment of an Arab homeland there.


adjective

  1. of or relating to Palestine or Palestinians.

  2. of or relating to Palestinian Arabs.

    Palestinian guerrillas.

Palestinian British  
/ ˌpælɪˈstɪnɪən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Palestine

"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

  1. a native or inhabitant of the former British mandate, or their descendants, esp such Arabs now living in the Palestinian Administered Territories, Jordan, Lebanon, or Israel, or as refugees from Israeli-occupied territory

"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 Palestinian

Palestin(e) + -ian

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.

On top of that, the city’s first Muslim mayor has repeatedly amplified the Palestinian cause.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Born in the U.S. to a Palestinian father and a Mexican mother, who left their countries escaping violence, Colette Ghunim is a child of displacement and migration.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

Any engagement with Israel at this point would focus on the resolution of the Palestinian issue, a Qatari official has said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

The five have also been charged with using symbols of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, which is proscribed as a "terrorist organisation" in Germany.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

Zuhair was Palestinian like us, and the soldiers were Israeli, but it seemed they wanted the same thing.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat

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