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  • Jamaican
    Jamaican
    adjective
    of or relating to the island of Jamaica or its inhabitants.
  • jamaican
    jamaican
    adjective
    of or relating to Jamaica or its inhabitants

Jamaican

American  
[juh-mey-kuhn] / dʒəˈmeɪ kən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to the island of Jamaica or its inhabitants.


noun

Jamaicans plural
  1. a native or inhabitant of Jamaica.

jamaican British  
/ dʒəˈmeɪkən /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Jamaica or its inhabitants

"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 Jamaica

"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

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of Jamaican

First recorded in 1685–95; Jamaic(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.

See Examples For:

Danielle Pinnock’s character, a Jamaican woman who is taken to America by a wizened older man she refers to as the “old raisin,” has a brassy boldness and bawdiness that also seduces the audience’s affections.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

Singing in English, her song's title is a Jamaican Patois slang term that means "riot".

From Barron's May 17, 2026

To the uninitiated, Bangaranga seems cast in the mould of nonsensical Eurovision songs like Diggi-Lou, Digg-Lay - but the title actually means "uproar" in Jamaican patois.

From BBC May 17, 2026

Jamaican musical fads and Jamaican sound systems became permanent British presences.

From The Wall Street Journal May 2, 2026

“Yes. But I’m Jamaican, too. My ma is from Jamaica.”

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

The Jamaicans hit the the woodwork three times in the second half, with substitute Bailey-Tye Cadamarteri going agonizingly close with a header that crashed off the post in the 87th minute.

From Barron's Nov. 19, 2025

But this week is better than last, a feeling most Jamaicans are clinging on to.

From BBC Nov. 7, 2025

The National Hurricane Center said Jamaicans could expect life-threatening storm surge, landslides and flash floods.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 28, 2025

More one-liners for Noah Lyles, a 200-meter specialist, winning the 100 meters over the Jamaicans.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 26, 2023

“Every culture is like that. The Americans, the French, the Jamaicans, the Koreans. Everyone thinks their way is the best way.”

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

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