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

See Examples For:

Tibetan

Activist groups published a separate six-minute video, apparently from the same man, where he speaks in Tibetan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

When the BBC visited a monastery in July last year that had once been at heart of Tibetan resistance, monks spoke of living under fear and intimidation.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Writers face imprisonment, including Tibetan author Gangkye Drubpa Kyab, who is serving a 14-year sentence for “inciting separatism” and was previously imprisoned for displaying a photograph of the Dalai Lama.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

A longtime supporter of Tibet and a convert to Buddhism, Gere has frequently met the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader accused by China of stoking separatism in the Himalayan region.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

Acne put a Tibetan amulet on the counter and tears streamed down her pitted, powdery cheeks.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell