Filipino

or fil·i·pi·no

[ fil-uh-pee-noh ]

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.

noun

, plural Fil·i·pi·nos.

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

Filipino

/ ˌfɪlɪˈpiːnəʊ /

noun

1. -nos a native or inhabitant of the Philippines Also (feminine)Filipina
2. See Tagalog
   another name for Tagalog

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Filipino¹

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

Example Sentences

A suspect also has been arrested in the case of Noel Quintana, the 61-year-old Filipino man whose face was slashed on a New York City subway train while on his way to work earlier this month.

From Washington Post

The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment says it’s willing to exempt the Germany and the UK from the 5,000–person annual limit on the number of Filipino healthcare professionals allowed to work abroad.

From Quartz

This time, with a 57-42 victory over Washington, the first-generation Filipino American from Southern California collected his first win, marking another milestone.

From Washington Post

The total Filipino population in the region, which also includes those born in the United States, is around 200,000.

From Voice of San Diego

The Filipino Food Movement, a group dedicated to the promotion of Filipino cuisine, held a virtual meeting with the owners to discuss the name and what it represents.

From Washington Blade

I have a lot more Filipino teenage girls that like me after The Mindy Project.

From The Daily Beast

Filipino news organization ABS-CBN News dubbed him ‘the Superman of Pants.’

From The Daily Beast

Few will be fooled a second time by a virtual Filipino 10-year-old in a chat room willing to do their sordid bidding for pay.

From The Daily Beast

The police arrested Alayban late that evening and found four Filipino servants in the house, who were removed from the condo.

From The Daily Beast

The Filipino beauty queen went on to win the title, but resigned when her grandfather fell ill six months later.

From The Daily Beast

Adverse critics contended that he unduly protected the Filipino to the prejudice of the white manʼs interest.

From Project Gutenberg

If he be a Filipino, he is usually elected by vote of the vice-presidents (ex-mayors) and municipal councillors of the province.

From Project Gutenberg

The laudable aim of America to convert the Filipino into an American in action and sentiment will probably never be realized.

From Project Gutenberg

In 1904 the position of the “Banco Español-Filipino” (vide p. 258) was officially discussed.

From Project Gutenberg

Credit is also due to numerous American and Filipino teachers for the submission of reports and materials used in its preparation.

From Project Gutenberg