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

Filipinos plural

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”; see origin at Philippines

Example Sentences

Mejia, who is of Filipino ancestry, became the first Asian American to hold citywide elected office in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

The supply chain is a straight line of dependencies: Filipino consumers rely on Vietnamese rice, and Vietnamese farmers rely on Chinese fertiliser.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Filipino ferry dispatcher Dave Delos Reyes has been handing out N95 masks for nearly three weeks to protect passengers against the smoke that a landfill fire has sent billowing above a stretch of Manila Bay.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

But agitprop is hardly the Filipino writer-director’s sole motivation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

They were Filipino, dark, with silky black hair.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro