Caribbean
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the islands or region of the Caribbean Sea, or to its inhabitants.
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of or relating to the Carib people.
noun
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the Caribbean Sea.
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the Caribbean, the islands and countries of the Caribbean Sea collectively.
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a native or inhabitant of a Caribbean country.
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a Carib.
adjective
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of, or relating to, the Caribbean Sea and its islands
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of, or relating to, the Carib or any of their languages
noun
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the states and islands of the Caribbean Sea, including the West Indies, when considered as a geopolitical region
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short for the Caribbean Sea
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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
Etymology
Origin of Caribbean
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. ); see also cannibal ( def. ), caribe ( def. )
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.
That is the same theory underpinning the controversial airstrikes since September on alleged drug traffickers' boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is selling its Caribbean banking arm for roughly $1.6 billion as it looks to shift capital toward growth efforts in North America.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Among France's former colonies, Haiti -- the poorest country in the Caribbean -- stands out as having particularly suffered.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Caribbean Tours still employs 22 people on a reduced payroll to keep them afloat until the business can snap back—if it ever does.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
A beefy man with a bushy Afro and a Caribbean accent gives me a firm handshake.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
