Caucasian

American  

[kaw-key-zhuhn, -shuhn, -kazh-uhn, -kash-] / kɔˈkeɪ ʒən, -ʃən, -ˈkæʒ ən, -ˈkæʃ- /

adjective

1. Anthropology.  (no longer in technical use) of, relating to, or characteristic of one of the traditional racial divisions of humankind, marked by fair to dark skin, straight to tightly curled hair, and light to very dark eyes, and originally inhabiting Europe, parts of North Africa, western Asia, and India.

2. white.

   a brown-haired Caucasian female with a tattoo on her left shoulder.

3. of or relating to the Caucasus mountain range.

4. Linguistics.  of or related to the non-Indo-European, non-Turkic languages of the Caucasus region.

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noun

1. Anthropology.  (no longer in technical use) a member of the peoples traditionally classified as the Caucasian race, especially those peoples having light to fair skin.

2. a white person.

   The chef at this awesome new Indian restaurant is actually a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian from Montana.

3. a native of Caucasia.

Caucasian British  

/ -ʒən, kɔːˈkeɪzɪən, kɔːˈkeɪzɪk /

adjective

1. old-fashioned  another word for Caucasoid

2. of or relating to the Caucasus

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noun

1. a White person; a Caucasoid

2. a native or inhabitant of Caucasia

3. any of three possibly related families of languages spoken in the Caucasus: North-West Caucasian, including Circassian and Abkhaz, North-East Caucasian , including Avar, and South Caucasian including Georgian

Usage

The word Caucasian is very widely used in the US to refer to people of European origin or people who are White, even though the original classification was broader than this

Pop Culture

— The Caucasian Chalk Circle: A 1944 modernist play by German playwright Bertolt Brecht. — Caucasian Review of International Affairs: An academic journal dealing with the Caucasus region, published quarterly. —Caucasian Ovcharka: A breed of dogs, also called the Caucasian Shepherd.

Other Word Forms

• non-Caucasian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Caucasian

First recorded in 1800–10; from Latin Caucas(eus), Caucas(ius), derivative of Caucasus, from Greek Kaúkasos; + -ian adjective suffix; Caucasus, -ian

Example Sentences

“If I was a Caucasian male, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” he said.

From New York Times

“Plaintiff applied to the position along with a Caucasian male sergeant with a long history as a detective in Operation Safe Street.”

From Los Angeles Times

“No person other than one of the White or Caucasian race shall be permitted to occupy any property,” the restrictions read, in part.

From Seattle Times

“But Tennessee Republicans told the Caucasian female Democrat that she can stay and threw the two Black men out of the legislature after a peaceful protest?”

From Washington Times

It also had an early covenant that barred homeowners from renting or selling to people who weren’t Caucasians.

From Seattle Times