Asian
Americanadjective
noun
-
Asians
plural
adjective
-
of or relating to Asia or to any of its peoples or languages
-
of or relating to natives of the Indian subcontinent or any of their descendants, esp when living in Britain
noun
-
a native or inhabitant of Asia or a descendant of one
-
a native of the Indian subcontinent or a descendant of one
Sensitive Note
Asian is the most commonly used term referring to people in or from Asia, especially East Asia. In American English, Oriental as a noun or adjective applied to people is outdated and has become a sensitive term to be avoided. It is associated with a bygone era in which Asians had subordinate status and their culture was perceived as strange and exotic. Also, the origin of the term Oriental represents a Eurocentric view of geography, since the Orient, or East, is east of Europe. However, Oriental is a neutral, inoffensive term when used as an adjective describing Asian culture or things from Asia. Similarly, the term Asiatic is usually offensive when referring to people, but neutral when referring to Asian culture, animals, etc. Though Asian is an acceptable ethnic designation in most contexts, it is best to be as specific as possible, rather than to group all Asians into a single cultural identity. In general, people of South, Southeast, and East Asian origin prefer to be identified by their country of origin: for example, Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, or Chinese. The people of the Middle East and Polynesia are not usually referred to as Asian.
Usage
To refer to someone from the Indian subcontinent as an Asian is potentially offensive and should be avoided. If you are talking about one specific group, it is better to say so, for instance people of Indian descent
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of Asian
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin Asiānus, from Greek Asiānós; see Asia, -an
Compare meaning
How does asian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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:
Roof and building collapses are common in Pakistan, largely due to poor safety standards and substandard construction materials in the South Asian nation of more than 240 million people.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Asian stocks tumbled as shares in the region’s banner AI stocks cratered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Achievement gaps ranging from about 28 to 49 percentage points still separate them from white and Asian students.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
North Korea also sealed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic, and train journeys between the East Asian neighbours only restarted in March after a six-year halt.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
And because of its location, the islands are immensely valuable strategically for any nation that wants to dominate the Asian coast.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
The rate of lactose intolerance is higher in certain populations, such as Africans, Asians, and Latinos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
He would like to see more young South Asians shaping the future of broadcasting.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Partner organizations also include Make the Road New Jersey, 50501, People vs the Machines and South Asians for America, according to a press release.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
The Japanese genome study identified 44 archaic DNA regions still present in modern Japanese populations, many of them unique to East Asians.
From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026
Our team of more than a hundred fencers, with five Black kids and two Asians, was considered a model of diversity in the world of high school fencing.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
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