Cajun

American  

[key-juhn] / ˈkeɪ dʒən /

Sometimes Cajan

noun

Cajuns plural

1. a member of a group of people with an enduring cultural tradition whose French Catholic ancestors established permanent communities in Louisiana and Maine after being expelled from Acadia in the late 18th century.

2. the French dialect of the Cajuns.

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Cajuns, especially those of Louisiana.

   Cajun cooking.

Cajun British  

/ ˈkeɪdʒən /

noun

1. a native of Louisiana descended from 18th-century Acadian immigrants

2. the dialect of French spoken by such people

3. the music of this ethnic group, combining blues and European folk music

---

adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or characteristic of such people, their language, or their music

Cajun Cultural  

1. A native of Louisiana believed to be descended from the French exiles from Acadia (see Nova Scotia). Cajuns have maintained a separate culture, including a special dialect and distinctive cooking style.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Cajuns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Cajun

First recorded in 1865–70; shortening of Acadian; compare Injun for Indian

Example Sentences

He boasts of achieving a seventh-degree black belt in Keichu-do karate, a Cajun hodgepodge martial art developed by his biological father, Karl.

From Slate • Jun. 29, 2026

Taylor then signed for another major label as frontman of a band called Cajun Moon.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Add 1 ½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning and both paprikas to the sausage fat.

From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026

A successful merchant and middleman, Jacob married Marie Estelle Berthelot, a Catholic Cajun woman who later converted to Judaism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Heterophony can be heard in the Bluegrass, "mountain music," Cajun, and Zydeco traditions.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones