Belgian

[ bel-juhn ]

/ ˈbɛl dʒən /

Save This Word!

noun

a native or an inhabitant of Belgium.

one of a breed of large, strong draft horses, raised originally in Belgium.

adjective

of or relating to Belgium.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Belgian

First recorded in 1615–25; Belgi(um) + -an

OTHER WORDS FROM Belgian

an·ti-Bel·gian, adjective, nounpro-Bel·gian, adjective, nounpseu·do-Bel·gian, adjective, noun

Words nearby Belgian

belfry, Belg., belga, Belgae, Belgaum, Belgian, Belgian Congo, Belgian East Africa, Belgian griffon, Belgian hare, Belgian Malinois

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Belgian in a sentence

The 6-foot-4 Belgian started every game she played in the Florida bubble last season, but she probably would move back to the bench with the roster constructed as is.
The Mystics hope to avoid more free agency surprises with Natasha Cloud and Emma Meesseman|Kareem Copeland|February 18, 2021|Washington Post
Emma Meesseman has a complicated situation with international responsibilities for her Belgian national team and could miss time for EuroBasket competition and the Olympics.
Aerial Powers hesitated, so the Mystics signed a two-time champ and defensive stopper instead|Kareem Copeland|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
So it seems timely to take a look at a newly published study of Belgian cyclists that tests the proposition that how a kid does when he “faces the other kids” is a good indicator of championship potential.
Testing Whether Fast Kids Make Future Champions|Alex Hutchinson|January 29, 2021|Outside Online
In 2018, he worked as a journalist for a Belgian website at the World Cup in Russia, studying tactics and approaches.
D.C. United’s Hernán Losada must learn a new league and a new city. He’s up for the challenge.|Steven Goff|January 19, 2021|Washington Post

The Belgian official, State Secretary for Budget Eva De Bleeker, posted the table of Belgium’s costs for vaccines on Twitter on Thursday, then deleted it shortly afterward.
Europe is paying less than U.S. for many coronavirus vaccines|Michael Birnbaum, Quentin Ariès|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
A Belgian church has a chalkboard sitting at the pulpit with the jungle peeking through the windows behind it.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A burly Belgian, strapped with grenades and ammunition, towered above them.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis|Nina Strochlic|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But in the case of this Belgian royal, this de Merode, all that seems to have been forgotten.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo|Nina Strochlic|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Belgian had a stint in America, before coming back to Paris in 1911 to stay at the apartment of Apollinaire.
Did Picasso Try to Steal the Mona Lisa?|Nick Mafi|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Belgian court is now determining whether to grant Johnson bail while she awaits trial.
Caught: Female Assassin Who Allegedly Murdered Five American Nuns|Barbie Latza Nadeau|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There were eight passengers besides myself; five Frenchmen, one Belgian, and two citizens of Milan.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
And that treatise of Van de Water, the Belgian, on the sublimation of the sub-conscious by the negation of the self-censor.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
They take in a couple of French papers at this cafe, and the same number of Belgian journals.
Little Travels and Roadside Sketches|William Makepeace Thackeray
One of them was when he had proposed to adopt a Belgian child, and Aunt Harriet had offered horrified protest.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart
It was early in the war then, and between Ypres and the sea stretched a long thin line of Belgian trenches.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart

British Dictionary definitions for Belgian

Belgian

/ (ˈbɛldʒən) /

noun

a native, citizen, or inhabitant of BelgiumSee also Fleming 1, Walloon

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of Belgium or the Belgians

of or relating to the Walloon French or the Flemish languages

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012