Canadian

American

[kuh-ney-dee-uhn] / kəˈneɪ di ən /

adjective

of Canada or its people.

noun

a native or inhabitant of Canada.

Canadian British

/ kəˈneɪdɪən /

adjective

of or relating to Canada or its people

"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

noun

a native, citizen, or inhabitant of Canada

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Canadians

plural

Etymology

Origin of Canadian

First recorded in 1560–70; Canad(a) + -ian; compare French canadien

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.

Canadian families impacted by the February shooting have already filed lawsuits against the US tech giant in a California court.

From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026

The bank’s biggest advocate is Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former Bank of England governor and now vocal advocate of “middle powers” banding together for geopolitical heft.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026

Neither are foreign productions, which means the Canadian hockey romance “Heated Rivalry” is off the table.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026

Canadian families impacted by the February shooting have already filed lawsuits against the US tech giant in a California court.

From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026

Leo resisted the urge to hide behind Frank and yell, Take the big Canadian dude!

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023