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Indonesian

American  
[in-duh-nee-zhuhn, -shuhn, -zee-uhn, -doh-] / ˌɪn dəˈni ʒən, -ʃən, -zi ən, -doʊ- /

noun

  1. a member of the ethnic group consisting of the natives of Indonesia, the Filipinos, and the Malays of Malaysia.

  2. a member of a population supposed to have been resident in the Malay Archipelago before the Malays, and believed to constitute one element of the present mixed population of Malaysia and perhaps Polynesia.

  3. Official Name Bahasa Indonesia.  an Indonesian language that is based on the form of Malay spoken in Java and has the status of official language in the Republic of Indonesia.

  4. the westernmost branch of the Austronesian family of languages, including Malay, Indonesian, Tagalog, and Malagasy.


adjective

  1. of or relating to the Malay Archipelago.

  2. of or relating to Indonesia, the Indonesians, or their languages.

Indonesian British  
/ ˌɪndəʊˈniːzɪən /

adjective

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Indonesia

  2. another name for Bahasa Indonesia

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of Indonesian

First recorded in 1840–50; Indonesi(a) + -an

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Like in Australia, the Indonesian rules place the onus on platforms to regulate teen access.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

The brokerage conservatively expects the Indonesian company’s 2026 net profit to grow threefold this year, based on locked-in charter rates in May through mid-June at levels above 2025 averages, and incremental vessel additions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Nomura lifts its 2026-2027 earnings estimates for the Indonesian oil and gas exploration and production company by 53%-67%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

"It feels like a dream," Ajeng Astuti, one of the domestic workers told BBC Indonesian.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

They lived in the same high-rise where they’d raised Barack, in a small apartment decorated with Indonesian textiles that Ann had sent home over the years.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama