Tibetan

American  

[ti-bet-n] / tɪˈbɛt n /

Or Thibetan

adjective

1. of or relating to Tibet, its inhabitants, or their language.

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noun

1. a member of the people native to or inhabiting Tibet.

2. the Sino-Tibetan language of Tibet, especially in its standard literary form.

Tibetan British  

/ tɪˈbɛtən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Tibet, its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Tibet

2. the language of Tibet, belonging to the Sino-Tibetan family

Etymology

Origin of Tibetan

First recorded in 1740–50; Tibet + -an

Example Sentences

China also has closed the northern route up Everest, on the Tibetan side, to foreign climbers this season, which is likely to lead to an increase in the crowd taking the southern route.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

A genetic adaptation that allows animals such as yaks and Tibetan antelopes to survive in thin air may also point to a new way to repair nerve damage in humans.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

Previously students could study most of the curriculum in their native language such as Tibetan, Uyghur or Mongolian.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

Tristan’s passage between worlds is anything but serene, and dancers, subtly choreographed by Annie-B Parson, accompany him as he hovers in the tunnel that suggests the bardo of Tibetan Buddhism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Religions bring the sacred into our lives with Gothic churches, Muslim mosques, Hindu ashrams, Torah scrolls, Tibetan prayer wheels, priestly cassocks, candles, incense, Christmas trees, matzah balls, tombstones and icons.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari