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

While still running antidrug operations in the Caribbean, Canada’s defense ministry stressed that those are “separate and distinct” from the U.S. military operation against drug boats.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

According to the newly-released files, Epstein wrote to Mr Thiel in November 2018 to invite him to visit him in his Caribbean island, where some of Epstein's crimes are thought to have been committed.

Read more on BBC

Colombia and much of the rest of Latin America are on edge due to a US military campaign targeting alleged drug running boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

Read more on Barron's

But Caracas fears the US military deployment, which also includes F-35 stealth warplanes sent to Puerto Rico and US Navy ships in the Caribbean, is a regime change plot in disguise.

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He also accuses Washington, which has deployed a fleet of warships in the Caribbean in a stated anti-drug operation, of seeking to depose him and seize the formerly rich petrostate's vast oil deposits.

Read more on Barron's