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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Filipinos
  plural

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

See Examples For:

Filipino Filipinos

Felino Palafox, a renowned Filipino architect and urban planner, told the BBC that space was a major challenge in building more tennis courts.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

Ms. Aviv also uses one woman’s experience as a way of delving into the bruising trade-offs of Filipino women who work as nannies overseas so that their own children, motherless at home, have spending money.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

"The match started at 20:30 local time and everybody on social media was following the match and posting about Filipino pride," former Philippines tennis player Dyan Castillejo told Sportsworld on the BBC World Service.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

"He kept on messaging me even when I was sleeping," the Filipino domestic worker told AFP, requesting that her real name and age be withheld.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

By the time he sailed back to the United States, his fondness for the Filipino people had intensified.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Everyone is doomed in Mr. Diaz’s account of European colonialism and exploratory naval history—not just the primitive Filipinos and Indonesians but the Portuguese on the mission from their silent God.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

“It’s our first time here, it’s a much bigger audience, so we want to make an impression and prove that Filipinos deserve to be on that stage.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026

He frequently portrayed himself as a political outsider, and promised to champion the interest of Filipinos in the provinces who felt marginalised by Manila's elite.

From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026

"As always, I dedicate this fight to my fellow Filipinos around the world and to bringing glory to the Philippines," said Pacquiao.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

She already speaks two languages—her native Filipino, of course, and English, which was taught to Filipinos during the American occupation—but she wants to learn others.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly