mandarin

American  

[man-duh-rin] / ˈmæn də rɪn /

noun

mandarins plural

1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine ranks of public officials, each distinguished by a particular kind of button worn on the cap.

2. (initial capital letter) the standard Chinese language.

3. (initial capital letter) a northern Chinese dialect, especially as spoken in and around Beijing.

4. a small, spiny citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, native to China, bearing lance-shaped leaves and flattish, orange-yellow to deep-orange loose-skinned fruit, some varieties of which are called tangerines.

5. any of several plants belonging to the genus Disporum or Streptopus, of the lily family, as S. roseus rose mandarin or D. lanuginosum yellow mandarin, having drooping flowers and red berries.

6. an influential or powerful government official or bureaucrat.

7. a member of an elite or powerful group or class, as in intellectual or cultural milieus.

   the mandarins of the art world.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a mandarin or mandarins.

2. elegantly refined, as in language or taste.

mandarin British  

/ ˈmændərɪn /

noun

1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine senior grades of the bureaucracy, entered by examinations

2. a high-ranking official whose powers are extensive and thought to be outside political control

3. a person of standing and influence, as in literary or intellectual circles

4. 1. a small citrus tree, Citrus nobilis, cultivated for its edible fruit

   2. the fruit of this tree, resembling the tangerine

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• mandarinate
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mandarins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mandarin

1580–90; < Portuguese mandarim, alteration (by association with mandar to order) of Malay məntəri < Hindi mantrī, Sanskrit mantrin councilor

Explanation

Use the noun mandarin when you're talking about a powerful member of a government, company, or cultural group. In other words, don't mess with the mandarin. You can use mandarin to mean "bureaucrat," or an official who tends to make things complicated and who wields a lot of power. Another kind of mandarin is a respected cultural or academic figure: "My favorite philosophy professor is considered a mandarin on campus." Mandarin with a capital "M" refers to the language spoken in China. Originally, this word meant simply "Chinese official," from the Hindi root word mantrī, "counselor."

Example Sentences

Along the easternmost point of the coast, sea women stuff "stone flowers" -- as the algae is called in Taiwanese and Mandarin -- into net sacks.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

The new law mandates Mandarin as the primary language of education, government and social organizations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

At the time the Speak Mandarin Campaign was launched, nearly 70% of Singaporeans spoke one of several Chinese dialects at home.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

A teacher hoisted a huge sunflower made from dozens of balloons -- the plant's name in Mandarin is a homophone for a Chinese idiom about success.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

But the Library of Congress sent Dr. Julia Chen, a scholar who spoke Mandarin, to Elizebeth.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield