Caribbean

American  

[kar-uh-bee-uhn, kuh-rib-ee-] / ˌkær əˈbi ən, kəˈrɪb i- /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

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. ); cannibal ( def. ), caribe ( def. )

Example Sentences

Haiti has already designated him as the Caribbean country’s first-ever representative at the Games, which will take place this March in Italy.

From The Wall Street Journal

With the U.S. deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean, safety has become a top concern, Cerdá said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The "active pursuit" in the Caribbean Sea was happening a day after the Coast Guard seized its second vessel off Venezuela in two weeks.

From Barron's

The explosion rained fiery debris across parts of the Caribbean region for roughly 50 minutes, the documents said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The US military has also conducted a series of air strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September.

From Barron's