Caribbean
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the islands or region of the Caribbean Sea, or to its inhabitants.
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of or relating to the Carib people.
noun
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the Caribbean Sea.
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the Caribbean, the islands and countries of the Caribbean Sea collectively.
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a native or inhabitant of a Caribbean country.
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a Carib.
adjective
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of, or relating to, the Caribbean Sea and its islands
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of, or relating to, the Carib or any of their languages
noun
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the states and islands of the Caribbean Sea, including the West Indies, when considered as a geopolitical region
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short for the Caribbean Sea
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a member of any of the peoples inhabiting the islands of the Caribbean Sea, such as a West Indian or a Carib
Usage
Caribbean is used as a plural noun (a candidate favored by Caribbeans ), but it's relatively rare as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Caribbean ).
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Caribbean
First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin Carib(b)aeus, adjective formed from New Latin plural noun Caribes, from Spanish and Portuguese singular noun caribe Carib ( def. ); see also cannibal ( def. ), caribe ( def. )
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.
He says he wants to wrap up the Iran war before engaging the U.S. in another mission in the Caribbean.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
There were also severe droughts in the Caribbean — so much so that 65% of Antigua’s farmers went out of business, with a 1-billion-gallon reservoir going dry.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
But earlier this year, he confirmed visiting Epstein's island while on a family vacation in the Caribbean in 2012.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
He was the first fisherman to retrain as an environmental defender under a pioneering project to replenish the Caribbean coral ecosystem.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
Haiti occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola, in the Caribbean, while the more prosperous Dominican Republic, once ruled by Spain, governs the eastern two-thirds.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
