Caribbean

[ kar-uh-bee-uhn, kuh-rib-ee- ]

adjective

1. of or relating to the islands or region of the Caribbean Sea, or to its inhabitants.
2. of or relating to the Carib people.

noun

1. the Caribbean Sea.
2. the Caribbean, the islands and countries of the Caribbean Sea collectively.
3. a native or inhabitant of a Caribbean country.
4. a Carib.

Caribbean

/ kəˈrɪbɪən; ˌkærɪˈbiːən /

adjective

1. of, or relating to, the Caribbean Sea and its islands
2. of, or relating to, the Carib or any of their languages

noun

1. the Caribbean
   the states and islands of the Caribbean Sea, including the West Indies, when considered as a geopolitical region
2. short for the Caribbean Sea
3. a member of any of the peoples inhabiting the islands of the Caribbean Sea, such as a West Indian or a Carib

Usage Note

Caribbean is used as a plural noun (a candidate favored by Caribbeans ), but it's relatively rare as a singular noun (the candidate who is a Caribbean ).

Other Words From

• in·ter-Car·ib·be·an adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Caribbean¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin Carib(b)aeus, adjective formed from New Latin plural noun Caribes, from Spanish and Portuguese singular noun caribe Carib ( def ); cannibal ( def ), caribe ( def )

Example Sentences

His drives were handsome, but it was the cuts and pulls that came with a dollop of Caribbean cool.

From BBC

Monitoring agencies have reported that the Caribbean is resurfacing as a major drug trafficking route from Colombia to Europe.

From BBC

Ivory Coast's national dish attiéké has gained UN cultural heritage status, along with Japanese sake, Thai prawn soup and Caribbean cassava bread.

From BBC

Heard married Depp in 2015, filing for divorce from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” lead just over a year after their wedding.

From Los Angeles Times

Today, the platform, which doesn’t require any subscription or login, spans 17 countries—14 from Latin America and the Caribbean, plus Portugal and Spain.

From Science Magazine