Hindustani

American  

[hin-doo-stah-nee, -stan-ee] / ˌhɪn dʊˈstɑ ni, -ˈstæn i /

Also Hindostani or Hindoostani

noun

1. a standard language and lingua franca of northern India based on a dialect of Western Hindi spoken around Delhi. Compare Hindi, Urdu.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to Hindustan, its people, or their languages.

Hindustani British  

/ ˌhɪndəʊˈstɑːnɪ, ˌhɪndʊˈstɑːnɪ /

noun

1. the dialect of Hindi spoken in Delhi: used as a lingua franca throughout India

2. a group of languages or dialects consisting of all spoken forms of Hindi and Urdu considered together

---

adjective

1. of or relating to these languages or Hindustan

Etymology

Origin of Hindustani

First recorded in 1780–90; Hindustan ( def. ) + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin

Example Sentences

And Hussain grew up not only on Hindustani music but the records by the Doors, the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane his dad brought back from his West Coast appearances with Shankar.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

They spoke Judeo-Arabic and Hindustani before they spoke English.

From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2023

From new genres like gully or street rap to the Hindustani techno, indie music is handmade, effortlessly cool and is genuinely ground-breaking.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2022

In addition to having "exceptional posture" and a "beautiful smile," Edwina is well-versed in French, Latin, Greek and, of course, her native Marathi and Hindustani.

From Salon • Apr. 9, 2022

The word would seem to be a colloquial remodelling of the Hindustani gend-khana, ball-house or racquet-court, by substituting for gend the first syllable of the English word “gymnastics.”

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 7 "Gyantse" to "Hallel" by Various