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”; see origin at Philippines

Example Sentences

Diane Briones Williams’s textiles at Official Welcome inject international flair into Western art history by rendering traditional scenes—landscapes, still lifes and genre painings—in needlepoint, then adding elements that touch on the artist’s Filipino heritage.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 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

“Go eat, go eat,” says Lola Juaning—the first words I hear when I walk into any Filipino party.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio