Filipino

American  

[fil-uh-pee-noh] / ˌfɪl əˈpi noʊ /

Or filipino

adjective

1. of or relating to inhabitants of the Philippines or to people of Philippine origin or descent; Philippine.

   Filipino immigrants living and working in Hawaii.

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noun

Filipinos plural

1. Sometimes Offensive. an inhabitant of the Philippines or a person of Philippine origin or descent.

2. Pilipino.

Filipino British  

/ ˌfɪlɪˈpiːnəʊ /

noun

1. Also (feminine): Filipina.  a native or inhabitant of the Philippines

2. another name for Tagalog

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Philippines or their inhabitants

Sensitive Note

Use as a noun in reference to a person (e.g., “a Filipino”) is sometimes considered offensive.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Filipinos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Filipino

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Spanish, derived from (las Islas) Filipinas “the Philippine Islands”; see origin at Philippines

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Filipino Filipinos

Last week, China Daily posted an AI-generated video featuring a monkey in a Filipino shirt.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

Chef and co-owner Danny Castillo has earned national acclaim for his Texas-style smoked brisket, chickens, sausages and other meats informed by the ethnic backgrounds of his crew — white, Mexican, Argentine, Filipino and others.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

"He kept on messaging me even when I was sleeping," the Filipino domestic worker told AFP, requesting that her real name and age be withheld.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

Filipino fans formed unmoving lines, hoping in vain to squeeze into the ludicrously limited capacity of Court 6 just to catch a glimpse of her main draw debut.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

Captain Colayco, the Filipino officer who sent Joey on her perilous mission to deliver the map, storms through the gates, leading the Allied Forces.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

“It’s our first time here, it’s a much bigger audience, so we want to make an impression and prove that Filipinos deserve to be on that stage.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

"I hope it doesn't happen... But if it does, we have to plan for it already," he said, citing the large numbers of Filipinos working in Taiwan.

From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026

Last year, four out of 10 work and residency permits were issued to Nepalis, Filipinos, Indians and Bangladeshis, mostly in the tourism, catering and construction industries.

From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026

Galleries on the outer courts were often tens deep, while the image of thousands of Filipinos queuing in line to watch their idol Alexandra Eala was startling.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026

Things have escalated quickly—and frighteningly—for Filipinos in the weeks following the Japanese Army’s December 8 attack.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly