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Ethiopian

American  
[ee-thee-oh-pee-uhn] / ˌi θiˈoʊ pi ən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Ethiopia or to its inhabitants.

  2. belonging to the part of Africa south of the equator.

  3. Zoogeography. belonging to a geographical division comprising Africa south of the tropic of Cancer, the southern part of Arabia, and Madagascar.

  4. Archaic. Black African.


noun

Ethiopians plural
  1. a native of Ethiopia.

  2. a member of any of various supposedly dark-skinned peoples regarded by the ancients as coming from a country lying south of Egypt.

  3. Archaic. a Black African.

Ethiopian British  
/ ˌiːθɪˈəʊpɪən /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Ethiopia, its people, or any of their languages

  2. of or denoting a zoogeographical region consisting of Africa south of the Sahara

  3. obsolete anthropol of or belonging to a postulated racial group characterized by dark skin, an oval elongated face, and thin lips, living chiefly in Africa south of the Sahara

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Ethiopia

  2. any of the languages of Ethiopia, esp Amharic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an archaic word for Black

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of Ethiopian

First recorded in 1545–55; Ethiopi(a) + -an

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.

See Examples For:

"This season, we have staged more than 380 matches using only three approved stadiums," Ethiopian Premier League Chief Executive Officer Kifle Seife told The Reporter newspaper on 27 June.

From BBC Jul. 4, 2026

An unnamed Ethiopian assistant professor was selected by ICM for its Midwife Leaders Executive Sponsorship Programme, but was rejected for having an "inadequate financial bank statement and an unreliable purpose of travel", the organisers said.

From Barron's Jun. 12, 2026

Bolé Ethiopian Cuisine St. Paul – Ethiopian food is always fantastic, but it’s even better when shared with friends.

From Salon Jun. 11, 2026

Get to know the Inglewood food scene before or after World Cup games at SoFi Stadium, including outposts for Somali, Ethiopian and Jamaican cuisine, soul food, casual cafes and Sonora-style tacos.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 11, 2026

For Pliny and others make divers sorts of them, the best whereof is the Ethiopian.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

It dwelt on historical themes and called for unity among Ethiopians.

From BBC Apr. 18, 2026

Ahmed, though, is facing growing domestic pressure to reduce the steep prices Ethiopians pay for imports, from food to fuel, which principally come via ports in Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 7, 2026

The GERD, whose construction began in 2011, was financed through taxes and loans from Ethiopians.

From Barron's Feb. 3, 2026

While some, like the engineer, worked directly on the dam, millions of other Ethiopians were, literally, invested in it.

From BBC Sep. 9, 2025

Far to the south was the country of the Ethiopians, of whom we know only that the gods held them in such favor they would sit at joyful banquets with them in their halls.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

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