Filipino

American  

[fil-uh-pee-noh] / ˌfɪl əˈpi noʊ /

Or filipino

adjective

1. of or relating to inhabitants of the Philippines or to people of Philippine origin or descent; Philippine.

   Filipino immigrants living and working in Hawaii.

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noun

plural

Filipinos

1. Sometimes Offensive. an inhabitant of the Philippines or a person of Philippine origin or descent.

2. Pilipino.

Filipino British  

/ ˌfɪlɪˈpiːnəʊ /

noun

1. Also (feminine): Filipina.  a native or inhabitant of the Philippines

2. another name for Tagalog

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Philippines or their inhabitants

Sensitive Note

Use as a noun in reference to a person (e.g., “a Filipino”) is sometimes considered offensive.

Etymology

Origin of Filipino

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Spanish, derived from (las Islas) Filipinas “the Philippine Islands”; Philippines

Example Sentences

They’re huge stars at home and have a devoted Filipino diaspora audience abroad— the band effortlessly snaps between Tagalog and English lyrics.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The Filipino government has vowed to stockpile a million more barrels of oil, and has not excluded further measures.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Among the concertgoers is Jocenhyl Flores, a 35-year-old Filipino living in South Korea, one of the tens of millions of worldwide followers of BTS.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

It alludes to Filipino woven bilao — the big, circular ones with all sorts of fiesta food.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

Many of her shoes are in a Filipino museum.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner