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Australian

American  
[aw-streyl-yuhn] / ɔˈstreɪl yən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Australia, its inhabitants, or their languages.

  2. Zoogeography. belonging to a geographical division comprising Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, Sulawesi, the Moluccas, Papua New Guinea, and adjacent smaller islands.

  3. Phytogeography. belonging or pertaining to a geographical division comprising Australia and Tasmania.


noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Australia.

  2. an Aboriginal inhabitant of Australia.

  3. Also called Australian Aboriginal languages.  the group of languages of the Aborigines of Australia, consisting of about three hundred languages. Austral, Austral.

australian British  
/ ɒˈstreɪlɪən /

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Australia

  2. the form of English spoken in Australia

  3. a linguistic phylum consisting of the languages spoken by the native Australians

"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

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Australia, the Australians, or their form of English

  2. of, relating to, or belonging to the phylum of languages spoken by the native Australians

  3. of or denoting a zoogeographical region consisting of Australia, New Zealand, Polynesia, New Guinea, and the Moluccas

"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

Other Word Forms

  • anti-Australian adjective
  • pro-Australian adjective
  • pseudo-Australian adjective
  • trans-Australian adjective
  • un-Australian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Australian

First recorded in 1690–70 Australian for def. 5; Australi(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.

Qantas now expects fuel costs for the six months through June to be between 3.10 billion and 3.30 billion Australian dollars, equivalent to between US$2.20 billion and US$2.34 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

The analysts raise their cost estimates for Australian miners to account for the impact of higher diesel prices on haulage, equipment, contractors and consumables.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

"Her achievement means that she will be the first woman to command a service in Australian history," Marles told reporters.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

The Australian will have three years of eligibility remaining and could be in the Bruins’ starting lineup next season.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The most extreme losses of technology in the Australian region took place on the island of Tasmania, 130 miles off the coast of southeastern Australia.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond