Cajun

American  

[key-juhn] / ˈkeɪ dʒən /

Sometimes Cajan

noun

Cajuns plural

1. a member of a group of people with an enduring cultural tradition whose French Catholic ancestors established permanent communities in Louisiana and Maine after being expelled from Acadia in the late 18th century.

2. the French dialect of the Cajuns.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Cajuns, especially those of Louisiana.

   Cajun cooking.

Cajun British  

/ ˈkeɪdʒən /

noun

1. a native of Louisiana descended from 18th-century Acadian immigrants

2. the dialect of French spoken by such people

3. the music of this ethnic group, combining blues and European folk music

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adjective

1. denoting, relating to, or characteristic of such people, their language, or their music

Cajun Cultural  

1. A native of Louisiana believed to be descended from the French exiles from Acadia (see Nova Scotia). Cajuns have maintained a separate culture, including a special dialect and distinctive cooking style.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Cajuns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Cajun

First recorded in 1865–70; shortening of Acadian; compare Injun for Indian

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Cajun Cajuns

He boasts of achieving a seventh-degree black belt in Keichu-do karate, a Cajun hodgepodge martial art developed by his biological father, Karl.

From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026

Taylor then signed for another major label as frontman of a band called Cajun Moon.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

Turning stovetop pasta into a spicy, creamy Cajun version that tastes like if the average Rainforest Cafe were suddenly staffed entirely by people with experience on the line at French bistros.

From Salon ● May 12, 2026

A successful merchant and middleman, Jacob married Marie Estelle Berthelot, a Catholic Cajun woman who later converted to Judaism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

He’s got a thick Cajun accent like he’s straight outta the bayou.

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Jordan Brown led the Ragin’ Cajuns with 16 points.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 17, 2023

His jumper in the paint tied the game at 19 with 4:43 remaining, but then the Ragin’ Cajuns went ice cold.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 17, 2023

The Ragin’ Cajuns made six of seven field goals over a nearly-five-minute span to surely make Tennessee nervous.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 17, 2023

The ragin’ Cajuns finished second in the league during the regular season, and their 26 wins are the second-most they had under coach Bob Marlin.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2023

There lives my old friend Doctor St. Martin, a gentle, learned man, a Cajun who has lifted babies and cured colic among the shell- heap Cajuns for miles around.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck