Hawaiian

American  

[huh-wahy-uhn, -wah-yuhn] / həˈwaɪ ən, -ˈwɑ jən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Hawaii or the Hawaiian Islands.

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noun

• Hawaiians
  plural

1. a native or inhabitant of Hawaii or the Hawaiian Islands.

2. the aboriginal language of Hawaii, a Polynesian language.

Hawaiian British  

/ həˈwaɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Hawaii, its people, or their language

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noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Hawaii, esp one descended from Melanesian or Tahitian immigrants

2. a language of Hawaii belonging to the Malayo-Polynesian family

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Hawaiians
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Hawaiian

First recorded in 1815–25; Hawaii + -an

Compare meaning

How does hawaiian compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Polynesian vs. Hawaiian

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Hawaiian Hawaiians

First Hawaiian shares slid about 4% to $29.07, while TriCo shares rose 12% to $59.88.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Researchers also discovered another unexpected similarity between the Himalayan and Hawaiian species.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

Kirkland said the regulations would have especially affected cities like Bell Gardens and Hawaiian Gardens, where casinos represent nearly 70% of the general fund.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Also in 2002, she voiced the Elvis-adoring Hawaiian girl Lilo in the animated hit Lilo & Stitch.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Isabella painted an amazing poster of a Hawaiian beach at sunset.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

Hawaiians were finally allowed to get permits to carry concealed weapons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

He then urged his fellow Hawaiians to check in on their local communities and do what they can to support their neighbors.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 30, 2026

Many Hawaiians have heeded official advice to leave coastal areas, after a powerful earthquake thousands of miles away near Russia prompted a tsunami warning in the US state and other parts of the Pacific.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2025

Kanaka elders have insisted that no more telescopes be built on Mauna Kea, which Native Hawaiians consider to be ancestral and sacred.

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2024

Instead of standard English, everyone spoke Hawaiian Pidgin, a language mash-up created by Hawaiians and early Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, and American immigrants.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge