Hawaiian

American  

[huh-wahy-uhn, -wah-yuhn] / həˈwaɪ ən, -ˈwɑ yən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Hawaii or the Hawaiian Islands.

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Hawaii or the Hawaiian Islands.

2. the aboriginal language of Hawaii, a Polynesian language.

Hawaiian British  

/ həˈwaɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Hawaii, its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Hawaii, esp one descended from Melanesian or Tahitian immigrants

2. a language of Hawaii belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family

Etymology

Origin of Hawaiian

First recorded in 1815–25; Hawaii + -an

Compare meaning

How does hawaiian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Polynesian vs. Hawaiian

Example Sentences

The island is the grip of a "Kona Low", a slow-moving area of low pressure that pulls in warm, moisture-rich air across the Hawaiian islands, bringing heavy rain and flash flooding.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Norris reportedly fell ill on Thursday on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Woven baskets filled with Parker House rolls or Hawaiian rolls.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Starlink began servicing the airline industry in 2022, inking deals to provide in-flight wifi with carriers such as Hawaiian Airlines and airBaltic.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 11, 2026

Usually he wore faded blue jeans with a flaming Hawaiian shirt, along with sandals and dweebish white socks, looking like he had just spent the night in a Mexican hotel.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston