Indonesian
Americannoun
-
Indonesians
plural
-
a member of the ethnic group consisting of the natives of Indonesia, the Filipinos, and the Malays of Malaysia.
-
a member of a population supposed to have been resident in the Malay Archipelago before the Malays, and believed to constitute one element of the present mixed population of Malaysia and perhaps Polynesia.
-
Official Name Bahasa Indonesia. an Indonesian language that is based on the form of Malay spoken in Java and has the status of official language in the Republic of Indonesia.
-
the westernmost branch of the Austronesian family of languages, including Malay, Indonesian, Tagalog, and Malagasy.
adjective
-
of or relating to the Malay Archipelago.
-
of or relating to Indonesia, the Indonesians, or their languages.
adjective
noun
-
a native or inhabitant of Indonesia
-
another name for Bahasa Indonesia
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of Indonesian
First recorded in 1840–50; Indonesi(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.
See Examples For:
Indonesian exports could slow in the second half, due to weaker global demand and prices for coal, crude palm oil and nickel coinciding with tighter domestic supply, RHB economist Wong Xian Yong said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
“With easing ore cost pressure and increased ore quotas, Indonesian production is expected to expand over the remainder of 2026,” says Dhar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Kiai Muchtar Mu'thi combines Islamic teachings with a strong emphasis on Indonesian nationalism, and the school he owns in East Java is part of a wider complex that has thousands of loyal followers.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Anak Krakatau is a small but highly active volcano located between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
He then developed the metal-barred metallophones from the idea of the Indonesian gamelan orchestra and the German glockenspiels, which were small metal-plated instruments found in Germany.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
The Japanese were occupiers, but they made concessions unlike anything the Dutch had offered—opening government positions to Indonesians and ultimately allowing displays of the Indonesian flag and performances of its national anthem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
"We're on our own here," said Junaidin, who like many Indonesians has one name.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Observers also say a guilty verdict could risk disillusioning young Indonesians who want to pursue a career in government.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
The group of 20 hikers, a mix of Singaporeans and Indonesians, had climbed to the summit despite previous warnings against such activity.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
Why did Austronesian people, stemming ultimately from mainland China, colonize Java and the rest of Indonesia and replace the original inhabitants there, instead of Indonesians colonizing China and replacing the Chinese?
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
