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 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

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 Word Forms

• inter-Caribbean 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

This year's list of finalists range from a Caribbean country to small start-up businesses.

From BBC

Hegseth said the attack took place in the US Southern Command's area of responsibility, which covers most of South America and the Caribbean.

From BBC

Eight years on, while memories may be close to hand, home insurance for many on Barbuda and other islands in the Caribbean's hurricane belt is more prohibitively expensive than ever.

From BBC

The colorful space, dominated by a giant rooster mural and pulsing with salsa, draws inspiration from across Latin America and the Caribbean.

From Salon

The rag-tag force, mainly made up of senior citizens, has been called up following the deployment of US navy ships in the South Caribbean on what US officials said were counter-narcotics operations.

From BBC